Never Again
by RosyRain
Summary: Snow. That's all I could see. Snow and ice. And then, I smiled. The odds were in my favor.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

'_Five.'_

'_Four.'_

'_Three.'_

'_Two.'_

'_One.'_

"_And there they go!" Caesar cheered excitedly as the 64__th__ Hunger Games began. Twenty-four tributes ran towards numerous directions. Majority of the non-Careers ran away from the Cornucopia and towards the shelter that the woods provided below. "Look at District Two, already at the Cornucopia!" the orange-haired talk show host exclaimed as he watched two tributes begin choosing their weapons. The blond-haired, blue-eyed boy chose a sword while the girl picked up a spear._

_Some tributes stayed and raced for the Cornucopia, but some were too slow to arm themselves and were the first to die. The Cornucopia had been situated on top of a mountain range and several bodies came falling off of the ledges. Within two minutes, all of the Careers had reached the Cornucopia and selected their weapon of choice._

_The male tribute from District One grabbed a bow and a quiver full of arrows. He began shooting down several tributes. Almost all of the non-Career tributes that had stayed were dead with the exception of a few stragglers. The District One boy grinned as he caught sight of the District Two boy busy hacking someone down._

_Caesar raised an eyebrow. "What _is_ that boy planning?" The man's question was soon answered when the District One boy loaded his bow and sent and arrow flying at District Two. The unsuspecting boy fell in a matter of milliseconds, an arrow lodged in the back of his head. Several cannons fired and one of those belonged to the boy from District Two. "A _betrayal_ this early in the Games?" Caesar laughed._

"_That's nine tributes dead. Francis from District Two. Kirsten and Tyrone from District Three. Maylee from District Five. Zane from District Six. Mara from District Seven. Yvette and Drake from District Eight. And last but not the least, Demi and Tristan from District Twelve," Claudius said, reading off the dead tributes' names one by one._

"_Ooh, District Two is _not _happy. She is _not_ happy," Caesar commented as he continued to watch the on goings near the Cornucopia. "Francis' district partner, Olive, is_ very_ angry." Claudius and the whole audience joined the yellow-haired man in watching the events unfold._

_The female tribute from District Two readied her spear to fight off the remaining five Career tributes. The boy from District Four took her side and went back to back with the girl, both of them wielding spears. The girl from Four hesitated before siding with Olive, armed with numerous throwing knives._

'_Back down now and I just might forgive you,' Olive hissed. 'This is your one and only chance…' Olive's two allies readied themselves for a battle when the two tributes did not answer. The girl from One shook her arm to release some stress, but the girl from Four thought of it as a sign to attack. In a flash, a knife was in between the tribute's eyes. A cannon was fired._

_The boy from One growled in anger as he lunged for the three tributes, but he was no match for them. In a matter of seconds, the boy went down, bloody and very much dead. His cannon fired the moment his head hit the ground._

'_This is for killing Francis,' Olive grunted as she plunged her spear one last time into the dead boy's head._

"_That was a fast alliance," Caesar commented as he turned back to his audience. His watchers hummed in agreement. "But for a Career, Francis went down too soon, didn't he?"_

* * *

_Caesar Flickerman's squinted eyes immediately widened upon realizing what was happening. "Claudius, those two are Careers, right?" The said man turned towards the large screen and assessed the situation. A second passed before he nodded in reply. A low whistle escaped from Caesar's yellow lips. "I feel a betrayal coming up!" he sang as he wagged his eyebrows._

_A hush fell over the audience as everyone watched in anticipation._

_The night was dark and jungle was thick with plant life. A boy with dark hair and green eyes carefully trudged through the moist earth, taking care not to make a sound. The camera shifted its focus onto another tribute, a girl with red hair, brown eyes and a gleaming, sharp knife in her hand who was following close behind the boy. Like the boy, she was as quiet as can be._

'_Good night Grant,' the girl whispered loud enough to catch the boy's attention. He whipped around, sword in hand, to defend himself, but it was too late. The girl had plunged her knife into the back of his neck and began cutting right down along his spine. All the while, the girl was smiling and laughing with glee. When the cannon rang out, that was the only time she removed the knife from the dead body. She wiped off the blood with the shirt of the dead boy and went on her merry way._

_A crest fallen look had taken over Caesar's features. "And that was the end for Grant of District Two," the yellow-haired Caesar announced. "For a Career Alliance, it collapsed too early, and for a Career, Grant fell too soon."_

"_You know, he was a funny kid. I liked him," Claudius commented before turning his focus to the remaining twelve tributes._

_Caesar's face lit up as a thought crossed his mind. "Did you know Claudius that Grant is the younger brother of Francis Rosewood, the male tribute from District Two three years ago?"_

"_Oh really?" Claudius said._

_The man beside him nodded. "Yes. Do you see a trend here?" Claudius answered him with a quizzical look. "No? Well, both Francis and Grant died early in the Games and both their alliances crumbled. What do you think about that? Do you think it's just coincidence?" A cacophony of 'yes' and 'no' came from the audience._

_Claudius turned back to the screen just in time to see Grant's body be taken by a hovercraft. "I think… The odds were just not in their favor."_

* * *

"_Oh my," Caesar Flickerman gasped, his eyes wide and his hand over his mouth. "Is that an earthquake?"_

_Claudius Templesmith looked over at the screen behind him and an identical look of shock appeared on his face. "It seems so," he said as he continued to watch what was unfolding in the Arena._

_The two announcers watched in wide-eyed shock as the entire Arena shook. Birds could be seen flying off out of the trees and into the safe haven that was the sky. Forest animals ran as they frantically searched for shelter. The remaining tributes were baffled as to what was going on._

"_It looks like they don't know the danger that they're in," Claudius commented into the microphone, turning away from the screen._

_Caesar gave him a confused look. "Danger?" he echoed. "Would you care to explain Claudius?"_

_The man beside the talk show host nodded. "Do you see that Caesar? That right there in between the mountains?" he asked as he turned back to the screen. It was no longer focused on the inhabitants of the Arena. It was focused on the beautiful mountains that bordered the Arena._

_Caesar, with his lime green hair and lips, blinked with surprise. "Is that a dam?" he exclaimed in utter shock. The camera zoomed in and it could be seen that cracks were beginning to appear, and they were growing, fast. "This does not bode well for our tributes," he said, shaking his head. "Do you think anyone will survive?"_

_Claudius took a moment to think about it. "If they find higher ground, then they'll be safe," he answered confidently. "But they need to be very high. Very, _very_ high. If they climb up the Cornucopia, they might have a shot, but I'd recommend higher."_

_A large boom was heard, but it was not the sound of a dead tribute's cannon going off. It was the sound of the dam finally breaking. The two announcers turned back to the screen behind them and watched with awe at how violent all the water from the dam came rushing down the mountain slopes._

_The cameras then flashed to the remaining tributes. A girl with short dark hair and green eyes who had gone a bit crazy was running away in fear. A muscled boy with messy blond hair and green eyes was climbing up a tree. A young, pale boy was trying to scale a cliff face. Two boys in the midst of battling each other to the death stopped and looked around for danger. A sleepy girl who had just woken up was still rubbing the sleep out of her gray eyes._

_In a few tense seconds, all the cameras could see was water. The first they caught was the pale boy. The water rushed towards him and he lost his hold on the cliff. The water carried him and he slammed into a jagged rock. A cannon shot as his limp body was dragged along by the current, the rock he had slammed into covered with a layer of blood._

_Caesar winced. "There goes Trent from District Nine."_

_The two boys were then found by the cameras. They tried to outrun the water, but they were too slow. Floating logs had hit them and they were rendered unconscious. Exactly five seconds passed, and two cannons were fired._

"_That would be for Felix and Craig from District One and Seven, respectively," Claudius informed the audience._

_The sleepy girl had finally fully awakened when the cameras got to focus on her. She had found a tall tree and began scaling it when she realized the dam had broken. She was on the top when the water reached her. The strength behind the current was so strong that it shook the tree. The girl looked down, and with a stroke of misfortune, the branch supporting her broke. She fell into the merciless water, hitting many branches in the process. By the time she landed in the water, she was riddled with cuts and bruises. The current dragged her along while she fought it, but the odds were not in her favor. An ill-placed, oddly sharp branch impaled her when she slammed into a tree. She didn't die yet though. She lived long enough for the water to reach and submerge her. It was after she took in a breath of water that a cannon shot was fired._

"_And that was the end for Cristie from District Twelve," Claudius sighed._

_Caesar cocked an eyebrow. "Though her death was expected, we've got to hand it to her. She made it to the Final Six. That's a big improvement coming from Twelve!" A murmur of agreement came from the audience._

_The cameras then turned to the muscled boy. The tree he had climbed was too short to get him above the rising waters. He tried jumping onto another tree, but the branch he had grasped onto broke when he transferred all of his weight to it. To his fortune, the strap of his bag had caught onto another, much stronger, much lower branch. The boy let out a sigh of relief upon realizing he hadn't hit the water, but his moment of calm was short-lived. The waters continued to rise without any sign of stopping or slowing down. The water soon reached him and without anywhere to go, he drowned. Another cannon was heard._

_A look of disappointment was evident on Caesar Flickerman. "And there goes Ryan of District Two," he said so softly that microphone barely picked it up. "If you remember, Ryan was the younger brother of former tributes Francis and Grant Rosewood."_

_Claudius' face lit up upon remembering. "Ah yes. He said that his father had dreamed of becoming a victor during his time, but he didn't get the chance to volunteer. Ryan wanted to fulfill that dream for his father…"_

_Caesar nodded. "Indeed… He had also mentioned something about not wanting his sister to see another brother die." Caesar shook his head. "I feel for the poor little sister who's watching." He then sighed and looked at the screen. "That's five tributes… That leaves us with…"_

_The crazed girl had been able to run as far from the dam as possible, almost reaching the end of the Arena, but the water still caught up with her. She swam with all her remaining energy, dodging logs and rock faces. It was amazing how long she could stay underwater, and how strong she was to be able to swim against the current when she needed to._

_A few seconds passed and the water suddenly drained from the Arena. The girl pushed her wet hair back as she got herself out of the water, trembling and on her knees. The cameras flashed to the dead tributes. Their bodies had managed to wound up near the Cornucopia, with the exception of one tribute who was still dangling from the tree branch. The cameras went back to the lone living tribute._

_The victor._

_Claudius and Caesar smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen," Claudius began, his voice booming into the microphone. "I am please to present to you the victor of the 70__th__ Hunger Games: Annie Cresta of District Four!"_

* * *

"What do you have to say Emily?" my father asked as he paused the recap of the 70th Hunger Games. He looked at me with expectant blue eyes. "Well?"

My eyes fell to the carpet and I closed my eyes. We had been doing this since Francis had died. My remaining brothers and I watched his Games over and over until we had pinpointed what went wrong. And then, Grant died and Ryan and I were forced to watch their Games and find their errors again and again. Then Ryan died and I was left all alone with Dad to watch how the three of them died every single day.

"Emily, give me an answer," he said, this time demanding me to speak. His voice was beginning to rise, but I doubted that he'd begin screaming anytime soon. It was the middle of the night and he had long grown tired of complaints from the neighbors.

"Francis…" I drew a deep breath and exhaled. My pause was more of a preparation than a hesitation to speak. I've watched these videos over a hundred times that the brutality of it all didn't bother me anymore. It had already come to the point that I had memorized how and when a tribute died. "He was the stupidest of the three," I began, my voice cold despite what it meant to my father.

Francis was the eldest. He was my father's carbon copy, and his pride and joy, his favorite. Even before Francis could walk, he would go to the neighbors and say, 'A future victor is in my hands!'. When my brother hit the age of five, Dad spent almost all of his time training Francis. They would train well into the night, causing my mother to worry. He was personally chosen by the District Council, much to my father's joy, and volunteered when he was seventeen.

Dad's jaw tightened at my answer, but he did not reprimand me. "Would you care to explain?" he simply asked, his tone even.

"He was wide open," I answered with a shrug. "If I were him, I would have kept my eyes on my allies. Everything about the boy that killed him, his appearance, his weapon specialty, his training score, his interview… It should have warned him to be cautious of District One. If someone was that good with that kind of weapon, I'd think twice of having him for too long…"

Instead of talking, my dad merely nodded his head and gestured for me to continue speaking. "And then there's Grant…"

Grant was the second. He looked exactly like my mother, and he was her favorite. Mom didn't exactly say that Grant was her favorite, but she did like how he was not as enthusiastic as the others to join the Games. In addition to that, he was the clown of our family. Grant was only three years younger than Francis. Dad also trained him with much joy since he was still riding on the wonderful idea of having two sons winning the Games. But after Francis' death, training became hell. He was reaped when he was eighteen during the 67th Hunger Games.

"Grant was good at what he did," I mused. "He was excellent with a sword. I haven't seen anyone who could swing as fast and as easily as he did." Dad nodded again. He knew it was true. Despite Grant's carefree nature, he was gifted with a sword. "But he was too careless. He could kill easily, but his way of thinking needed development. He couldn't anticipate the moves of his opponents as quick as the others, resulting to the crippling wound he got in the bloodbath."

I remembered that part very well. A boy from District Eight had gotten lucky and took a knife from the Cornucopia. Grant was finishing up with the District Eight girl when the boy lunged at him. The boy had managed to deeply wound my brother on his right arm before Grant killed him. The days following that, Grant had to use his left hand to fight. He was right-handed.

"And that leaves Ryan," Dad told me. I nodded.

Ryan was the youngest of the three boys. Unlike Francis and Grant, his looks were the mixture of our parents. Blond hair from Dad and green eyes from Mom. Of the three brothers I had, it was Ryan who I was closest to. He was the one in charge of taking care of me after all. Since he was the closest, his death was the most painful for me. I had asked Dad if could close my eyes, but he had insisted for me to watch. He was reaped when he was seventeen and I was only eleven when he died.

"Ryan… Ryan knew what he was doing," I began though my voice was softer than earlier. "He was very aware of what was happening around him. He knew exactly when to do whatever and who to take down whenever. Of the three of them, he was the best, the most prepared." I knew my Dad couldn't disagree. Ryan had the instinct Grant didn't have, and the common sense Francis lacked. "But he should have known that branch was too weak to support him." Ryan lacked brains. "It was obvious that holding onto a branch like that was like committing suicide."

"So what are you saying?" my father asked. He wanted me to sum up everything I had said.

I let myself take a deep breath before answering. "They were weak," I answered simply. "They were stupid. They were weak. They overlooked the simplest of things and they wound up dying for their mistakes."

Finally, I opened my eyes and looked at my father. I could practically see the pride in his blue eyes as he watched me. I was his last hope of having a victor for a child. I opened my mouth to ask if I could go to bed, but he asked me one more question.

"And what about you? What is your fault?"

The question made me freeze. What was my fault? What did I have or didn't have that could possibly lead to my death when I enter the Games? I could only think of one answer. "I lack physical strength…" I whispered. It was partly true. Unlike the other kids, I was short and thin for my age. What meat I had in me was muscle, but I was not buff.

I turned to my father and paled. He was frowning. Why was he frowning? I answered correctly, didn't I? "Wrong," he simply told me. For a moment, I thought he wasn't going to punish me for getting it wrong, but he suddenly grabbed me by the hair and forced me up onto my feet. My dad dragged me in front of a nearby mirror and pointed at my reflection. "What do you see Emily?"

"Myself…" I whispered in a shaky voice.

My father shook his head. "Wrong again," he said, this time disappointment evident in his voice. He tossed me to the side but I managed to regain my footing before I could hit anything. "Go to your room. Rest. I want you to be ready for the Reaping tomorrow." This time, he almost sounded disappointed as he slumped into his own personal chair by the unlit fireplace.

"But Da-" I stopped myself. There was no need to tell my father that I wasn't going to be volunteering. Another girl was chosen to volunteer as tribute for this year's Games. He already knew and I personally thought he was relieved. That meant I had another year to train, to improve myself, to correct my mistakes. "Alright Dad… Good night," I softly said before heading up to my room.

I couldn't help but feel like I had let him down again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Training was cancelled because of the Reaping. Students didn't have to go to school. Workers didn't have to attend to their jobs. Since the Training Center was closed, there was nothing for me to do. Dad didn't want me train either. He had said that he didn't want us looking like some beat up punching bag when we go up the stage. He said that every single year to every single one of us children. This year though, he only had to say it once, only to me.

For the whole day, I did nothing but stay in my room, lying down on my bed. My dad didn't mind, but Mom was concerned when I turned down her offer of breakfast. I wasn't hungry. I just needed some quiet time to settle what nerves I had, which was very little.

I got moving around eleven-thirty. The Reaping started at one o' clock sharp and us potential tributes needed to be at the District Square before one. I took a shower and slipped into something decent afterwards. After putting on a white, sleeveless dress, I buckled a black belt around my waist and shoved my feet into some black sandals.

Turning to the mirror, I retrieved my brush and began running it through my long, dark brown hair. I absentmindedly watched my reflection as I undid the knots in my wet hair. When I had that done with, I paid attention to my reflection. I had blue eyes that were almost innocent-looking. My dark hair fell just above my waist. My skin was a creamy beige and my lips were full and rosy. For a fourteen year old, I didn't look the part. Training had taken a great deal of my baby fat away.

Content, I left my room and headed downstairs where I knew my Mom and Dad were waiting. They were just about ready to leave when I found them in the living room. "You look beautiful sweetheart," my mom sighed as she pulled me in for a hug.

I managed a tight smile. "Mom, it's not like I'm leaving," I huffed. "Dad, tell her."

Rolling his eyes, he repeated what he had been trying to tell her for the hundredth time. "Elizabeth, our daughter isn't going to the Games," he sighed, slightly annoyed. We locked eyes for a moment and the corners of his mouth curved. "Not yet anyway," he added just out of my mother's earshot.

"You better go ahead honey," Mom told me as she pulled away. "You need to register, right?" I nodded. "Well… Off you go then," she sadly said when she completely let me go. I bade them a quick goodbye and gave each of them a peck on the cheek before leaving the house.

At the Square, children were starting to gather. I fell in line to register and soon, I began looking for the rest of the fourteen-year old girls. I searched for a familiar face, but instead, a familiar voice rang.

"Emily!" I turned around and there she was, one of the few friends I had left. Clove. "So you finally decided to show up, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "For your information Clove, I was here first."

Clove Greenaway was a childhood friend of mine, and one of the few I had left after my brothers' deaths. Unlike the rest of my so-called friends, she didn't look down on me. Losing in the Hunger Games was immensely shameful and my family had to experience that three times. When the rest began to doubt my capabilities and skills, Clove trusted me and pushed me to do better. When the rest threw insults, Clove stood strong and defended me. Despite what people would say about her, I knew Clove was a good person deep down inside.

I had once asked her why she was so kind to me and she told me that I reminded her of her older, yet weaker sister she failed to protect. Her sister was sixteen when she was reaped last year. Unlike my dad who trained each and every one of us, Clove's sister was diagnosed with an illness which rendered her weak and unable to do strenuous work. Clove hadn't volunteered for her, thinking then that she didn't care, but after her death, Clove wasn't able to recover. There would be times that she'd break down and begin chucking her knives indiscriminately.

The two of us talked about stuff as we walked towards the lines for the fourteen year olds. We were about to reach the line when a large person blocked our way. "Oops," a familiar voice chuckled. "Sorry there midgets. Couldn't see you down there." Both Clove and I looked up and frowned at Cato who had a wide smirk on his face.

Cato Brookes and his family were friends with mine. Francis, Grant and Ryan had trained with him back then while I watched. I was too young for their kind of hand-to-hand combat during that time so I couldn't join their backyard training. I've known Cato personally since I was four. He and my brothers were always together and to an extent, he idolized them. He had once admitted to me that it were my brothers that helped him out the most.

Like Clove, he was a fierce fighter, but he also had a soft-spot for me. I had come to find out that my brothers had asked Cato to look after me if ever they couldn't make it out of the Arena. Cato was stupefied then. He couldn't believe that the people he looked the most would ever consider the idea of losing the Hunger Games. I was annoyed at first at how he would check up on me, but he eventually learned that he didn't need to watch me.

It was pure coincidence that Cato and Clove happened to have been friends when the two crossed paths one day. That had made it a lot easier for me cope with everything.

"Shouldn't you be heading to your own line?" Clove snapped, obviously not appreciating the term 'midget'. I didn't too, but I was less vocal than the brunette beside me.

Cato's smirk widened. "Shouldn't you have grown any taller by now?" he answered back. I watched with amusement as Clove struggled to say something, but she had been outdone.

I shook my head. "Come on Clove," I laughed as I grabbed the brunette by the wrist and began dragging her along. "You should get going too Cato," I called, waving back at him with my free hand. "See you later." The blonde nodded as he made his way to the line for the seventeen year olds.

When we got to the rest of the girls our age, it only took a few more minutes before the District Escort, Tallia Finch, waltzed up onto the stage with a large smile on her face. She had black hair that had highlights that changed color every year. This year, she had gone with aqua. A little, bright yellow hat sat on her head in a way that I swore shouldn't be possible. She was wearing a silly, aqua-colored dress which had bright yellow embellishments. I felt dizzy at the sight of it and turned away. I caught sight of Clove and her narrowed eyes told me she didn't like her get up either.

"Welcome everybody!" she trilled in an annoyingly high voice. Her voice was like that of an over enthusiastic child trying to show off with the addition of the accent Capitol people had. "We all know what today is right?"

People cheered and I barely stopped myself from wincing. Here in District Two, the Hunger Games was an event people wanted to see.

She smiled and clapped her hands together. "Yep! Today, we're going to pick one lucky girl and one lucky boy to send to enter the?" I could feel my eye twitch. Even Dad himself told me that Tallia could be a real pain in the ass. "That's right! The Hunger Games!" she squealed, this time sounding like a girl who had been asked out on a date by her crush. "Shall we get on?"

Clove huffed in irritation and boredom. I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "We'll survive this," I whispered. It caused both of us to chuckle.

"Ladies first!" she sang into the microphone before skipping towards the ball where all the names of the girls were in. She pulled out a piece of paper and almost ran back to the microphone. For an escort, she sure looked excited. "And our female tribute for the 73nd Annual Hunger Games is… Emily Rosewood!"

I froze at the sound of my name and a hush fell over the crowd. Of course, everyone knew me and my family. They didn't show it, but I knew they pitied us. Out of three sons, my parents had no victor for a child. And now, their only daughter and last child was reaped. Mom would lose it and Dad… I didn't know whether or not he was happy.

After taking a step away from the line, I felt Clove pulling me back, her green eyes boring into my blue ones. "No," she firmly said. "Someone's going to volunteer, remember? You don't have to go up there."

My eyes flickered from Tallia to Clove. "What if she doesn't?" I argued in a hushed town.

The brunette shook her head. "She can't do that!" she almost yelled, catching the attention of nearby children. "I… I'll volunteer if she doesn't. Just… Don't go up there Emily." I could see the desperation in her green eyes. With much effort, I turned to search the crowd for Cato. I found him and he was looking straight at us.

"No," he mouthed, shaking his head.

"Emily Rosewood?" Tallia called out again. My eyes flickered back to Clove who was starting to shake. If the girl doesn't volunteer now, I'd have to go up and Clove would go nuts.

"I've gotta go up there Clove," I sighed as I began making my way out of the crowd. Clove shot me a look as if I was crazy.

"Just wait! She's going to-"

I shook my head. "Let me at least go up there. If she'll volunteer, then she will," I told her evenly. "But right now, I at least need to make an appearance." I took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze before heading up the stage, Peacekeepers escorting me all the way.

Tallia flashed me a fake smile when I stood beside her before turning to the crowd. "Off to the boys then!" I couldn't stop myself from wincing. Her voice was much more piercing when it came from her mouth than from the speakers.

In a matter of seconds, she had walked towards the boys' bowl, fished out a name, and made it back to where I was standing. "And our male tribute is… Alex Frost!" I saw a brunette shift from the line of sixteen year olds. I knew Alex from the Center. He was an old friend of Ryan's. Ryan had practically taken Alex under his wing and took some time to train with him.

Alex had already made his way up the stage and still, the boy chosen to volunteer did not speak up. What was going on? Why was nobody volunteering? Were they actually going to let us join the Games?

"Everyone, our tributes for the 73rd Annual Hunger Games: Emily Rosewood and Alex Frost!" I heard Tallia announce and it was final. My eyes searched the crowd for Clove and Cato. The expressions on their faces were identical. They wore masks of pure disbelief as the truth sank in.

I was going to compete in the Hunger Games.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My parents were the first to visit me. My mother had on her face an expression of pure desperation. As my brothers died one by one, her sanity was slowly chipping away. I put on a smile for her to show her that I was fine, to tell her that she didn't need to worry. My efforts, however, had the opposite effect. Mom quickly pulled me to her and wrapped her arms around me tightly. "Emily…" she whimpered as I felt a growing wet spot on my shoulder.

"Liz," Dad said. "Let me hold her too." Nodding, Mom pulled away and forced a smile for me. I nodded and smiled back.

Dad put a hand on each of my shoulder and looked at me. His face was unreadable so I couldn't know for sure if he was proud, sad or angry. "Do your best Emily. You're better than your brothers. You're better than all of them," he reassured me, the corner of his lips twitching. He was proud of me, that much I was sure of, but then his grip tightened. "Do _not_ let your guard down. Do _not_ trust anyone. Do _not_ lose. Do you understand?"

I nodded, my blue eyes mirroring the resolve in his own. "I promise Dad," I said. "I won't let you down."

Contented, my dad smiled a wide smile and patted my shoulders before letting me go. Mom took a step forward and grabbed my hand. I felt something cold slip onto the palm of my hand. When she let go, I looked down and saw a gold ring. My eyes grew wide as I slowly came to recognize it. A black stone with bonds of varying hues of red ran across the stone's surface as it sat on the plain metal band. Slowly, I slipped my finger in and I wondered how it would still fit. I thought I lost the ring a long time ago.

"Remember what it's called?" I slowly nodded. "It's a sardonyx. Way, way, way back, people believed that children born in August were condemned to live out their lives alone and unloved and a piece of sardonyx was given to them to save them from being lonely." I turned to her and noticed her smile reached her eyes and for one moment, she looked normal again and that made me happy. "I hope that with this, you won't ever feel alone in that Arena," she said with a shrug. Something tugged at my chest but I couldn't show anything in front of my father. Though I doubted he would punish me here, I didn't want to risk it, so I held everything back.

My fingers curled over the ring and I held it close to my chest. "I'll definitely win for you and for District Two." A second later, a peacekeeper came in to escort them out. My mom gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving while my dad settled with giving me a pat on the head.

The next were Clove and Cato. "Aw, don't be like that Clove," I groaned upon seeing her grim expression. "It's like you don't think I can win."

The brunette head shot up. "I know you can win but…" Her voice changed into a whisper. "There's still the tiny chance…" I pursed my lips. I hadn't forgotten about that. Sure, I had been trained for this my whole life, but there were things that even an eternity of training couldn't prepare me for. I knew that. Clove knew that. Even Cato knew that. But of course, none of us would admit it. To train for the Games, we all had to be ignorant to that fact, or at least to appear to be.

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "Seriously Clove?" I asked, sounding slightly annoyed. "You really think I won't come back?"

Clove shook her head. "No but-"

"Clove, let it go," came Cato's calm voice. The two of us turned to the blonde and blinked. "Emily knows what she's going to face. You know she'll do her best to win. Why doubt her?"

The brunette frowned. "It's as if you're not worried," she muttered.

Cato rolled his eyes. "Hell yeah I'm worried, but not for Emily," he said. "I'm worried for the other tributes." He flashed me a warm smile. "They won't know what hit 'em. Hell, the Games would be over before you know it."

I nodded. "And I'll be the victor," I added. "So don't worry Clove, alright?" I said in a soft voice. There were times that Clove treated me like a kid, and then there were times I treated Clove like a kid. A small smile made its way to my lips when I saw her nod.

"Kill me one of them tributes, alright?" she asked in a shaky voice. My smile widened. "Maybe a knife to the head or something. Surprise me," she finished with a shrug.

"Just one?" I laughed. Seriously? Just one? Knowing Clove, she'd want me to kill every single one of them. Or better yet, be in the Arena herself.

Cato managed to laugh a bit too. "Mind snapping a few necks for me too, Emily?"

"When I get the chance," I told him. I then tried my best to frown. "That's future mentor to you. To both of you!" I added. The two smiled and after giving me a pat on the shoulder, Cato began dragging Clove away by the wrist. "See you after the Games?"

The two stopped and grinned. "Yeah. After the Games," they said with a wave before they left.

A few neighbors visited me after them, wishing me good luck and to not die. The nicer friends of my brother also came by, saying that I shouldn't end up like him. They knew my mother wouldn't bear it. Some trainers at the center also came, giving me last minute advice and asking me to up a good show. Some of them even made it clear to not end up like Ryan, or worse, Francis.

When the last of them left, I felt exhausted. Who knew saying goodbye could wear a person out? Thankfully, Tallia came to collect me and Alex and we were heading for the train. The trip to Capitol, I knew, was only a day's trip, so I won't have much time to spend with my mentor. But then again, tributes from our district didn't need much mentoring. We were trained for this our whole lives.

"Long time, no see Emily," Alex pleasantly said as we both settled onto some chairs. Tallia had left us to go fetch our mentors.

The corner of my mouth curved into a halfhearted smile. "Yeah… It's been a while," I breathed, remembering when we had last seen each other. He had come over to watch the Games with us, to watch Ryan. It was down to the final six and the dam had just broken. He didn't stay long enough to hear the declaration of the winner, but he had seen how Ryan died. He had left quietly that day and never came back.

"How are your parents?"

"Good, though Mom hasn't been the same," I answered, the last part coming out as a murmur.

A grunt came from him. "Yeah… Nothing's been the same since then," he agreed. I spared him a glance and raised an eyebrow. He had changed so much. He wasn't the awkward kid two years ago. No, he was far from it. The years of training had allowed him to develop muscle and his skin had grown darker from training under the sun. His black hair was in spikes that looked natural. His green eyes were distant as he looked out of the window.

"You've changed a lot," I evenly said as my eyes wandered to the window as well.

"Two years is a long time Em," he told me, using my nickname. The nostalgia of it all made me smile a little. "You've grown too, you know."

I pulled my eyebrows together at the possible implications of his words. "I hope you mean that in a good way," I grumbled, my mouth now set into a frown. He laughed a bit and I lightly shook my head. We shouldn't be catching up. We should be plotting, scheming, talking strategy. "So what can you do in battle?" I asked, still not looking away from the trees whizzing by.

A moment of silence passed between us before he got around answering. "I prefer swords," he answered simply. Of course. Most of the boys liked swords. All of my brothers wielded it during their Games. I never could understand it though. I would always ask myself why people would choose a weapon that could put them in harm's way? Why not go the safe way and attack from a distance with a bow or some throwing knives? I always thought it had to do with their ego, and I was content with that answer. "And you?" Alex asked. "Do you still throw knives?"

"Yeah, but I feel better with bows," I replied. Unlike my brothers, I began training with knives whereas they began with swords and fist fighting.

"Why the change of taste?"

"Clove," I muttered under my breath just loud enough for him to hear. It was true though that the reason I stopped throwing knives was because of Clove. I paled in comparison to her skill. She taught me and encouraged me, but I would always feel dismayed at the end of the day. So I turned to archery.

Chuckles escaped from my district partner's lips and I looked at him. "Still not used to being outdone?"

"Shut up," I growled just as our mentors enter. They didn't introduce themselves. They didn't need to. We already knew them. Enobaria and Brutus, two of the fiercest victors from District Two. Though they were getting a little too old for the job, they never lacked the energy. They both glanced between us.

"You're a Rosewood kid aren't you?" Brutus asked as he narrowed his eyes at me. I nodded. "I just knew it. I wasn't at the Reaping but I knew you were a Rosewood when I saw you." I opened my mouth to ask how he could have possibly known, but he was already speaking again, answering my unspoken question. "You look like your brothers."

"A Rosewood huh?" Enobaria echoed with little enthusiasm. "Tell me little girl, do you plan on dying like your big brothers?" she taunted. I glared at the woman. She was one of them. She was one of the people who looked down on be. Before I could say something, Enobaria turned away and assessed Alex. She turned back to me after a few seconds and pointed a finger at my district partner. "Now _that's_ a victor," she said. "I don't want to mentor a failure Brutus. You take her," she told her fellow mentor.

Tallia then walked in, still clothed in her silly dress. "The recap is on. Would you like to watch?" All four of us nodded in response. "Alrighty then," she chirped as she picked up the remote control and the video from the Reapings all over Panem played.

District One was a surprise. Instead of the usual tall, slim ones, the boy was actually large with muscles but the girl was quite short. He had dark hair and dark eyes while the girl had strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. I could tell that they were going to be handy in an alliance, but the girl, I felt, I should be wary of. Something about her didn't seem right. Our reaping came up afterwards and we didn't bother to pay attention.

Three was the usual. They had ashen skin and dark hair. Both were shaking as they took to the stage. They would be easy kills. Maybe Cato would get his request of me breaking some necks.

The tributes from Four did not disappoint. They were lean and showed potential to fight. They were both a little tan, most probably due to all the hours in the sun, and had green eyes. The girl who had short dark hair was obviously a swimmer judging from her build. The boy had dirty blond hair and was probably good with a spear.

Five and Six went by without anything special, with the exception of the girl from Six. She was a volunteer. At first, I thought that she actually had some fight in her, but when I saw the way she was walking towards the stage and the blank look in her gray eyes when they zoomed in, I knew it was the exact opposite. She was looking for death, asking for it. This was a suicide attempt that would not fail her.

"False alarm," I heard Brutus chuckle. He had thought the same.

From Seven were a pair of hefty tributes. They were well-built. They would be of some help, but if they were to be part of our alliance, a lot of convincing would have to be done. I felt Alex nudge me with his foot.

"The girl. She's limping. She won't be of any use," he whispered, as if he had read my mind. I turned to my mentors and they both nodded. So much for Seven then. Poor girl. She'd be dead before she could reach the Cornucopia… Most of them would be.

The rest of the districts had little to offer. Eight and Nine were too thin. Ten was a pale girl that looked like she had a heart condition and an innocent looking boy with dark, wide eyes. Eleven would be no trouble at all. They were both twelve year olds. Twelve was just another pair of starving children.

A sigh escaped my lips. This year's Games would be easy if I played it right. My mind began to think of way to effectively take down the tributes with little risk of being injured. The best option I had was to get a bow, hide in the trees and just lodge an arrow into a tribute's brain. It sounded easy, but I knew it wouldn't be. There were too many variables to consider before making a definite plan. The biggest threat to me would be the tributes in my own alliance. Their deaths were the ones that needed the most planning.

After a few minutes of talking strategy, Enobaria and Brutus left us to get some rest. Tallia had already left when the recap was over, so Alex and I were alone. Again, silence fell between us.

It felt so strange that we were close a few years ago. During the days when the Center was closed, Alex would come over to train. If training ended late, Ryan would ask him to stay over for the night and sometimes, he'd sneak into my room to talk about stuff. We'd walk together to school and walk home together. His house was farther away from the school from mine, so he'd drop me off at my front door. But all of those times were just memories now. We had drifted apart. We were almost like strangers.

And then I blinked and finally noticed the eyes that were watching me. "What are you smiling for?" I asked when I turned and noticed the smile on his face.

"Oh nothing," he hummed as he turned back to the window. "Just thinking that some things never change."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

To say that Capitol was one hell of a freak show was an understatement. I was not prepared to be greeted by so many people dressed in so many, dizzying and painful colors. Though I appreciated the screams, I wished that they could fix their sense of fashion. I had only gotten a second's glance at the Capitol citizens when sudden nausea struck me. I was forced back to my seat, massaging my temples.

"I know right?" I heard Brutus chuckle. I turned to look at him and I immediately regretted that decision. The world spun, but there was an unmistakable look of disgust on my mentor's face. I got a glimpse of Enobaria and I could tell that she was not a happy camper. Alex was also looking like he was in a foul mood. It must have been the noise. Actually, only Tallia looked happy to arrive.

Thankfully, I didn't get to see more of the locals because we were immediately sent to our prep teams to be… well, prepped. I did not mind being pampered, but I did hate how long it took and how it was done. For Panem's sake, I wasn't _that_ filthy.

By the time I was done, I felt sore all over, vulnerable and so, so sore.

My prep team, that was made up of Ona – a woman who had pale pink skin and purple hair bunched up into a hive, Lux – a small, chubby woman whose three-inch blue eyelashes matched her ironed out blue hair and blue lips, and Kali – a thin woman who, to my surprise, looked relatively normal with the exception of her orange lips and canary yellow curls, led me to a room afterwards and finally, I was left alone, clad only in a robe.

But as soon as I felt safe, the door opened. I lifted my head and saw a small woman. She could not have been more than four feet in height. To remedy the apparent height difference, she wore six-inch red heels, but even with the shoes, I still towered over her a good seven inches. Her hair was a very light blond that I couldn't determine whether it was dyed or not, and it was done up into a neat bun, held together by a ruby encrusted pin. Her skin was a pale white with just a bit of pink, but it was the kind that was natural to people. Her eyes were perhaps the most interesting to me. Unlike my big, blue ones, she had dark, narrow, chinky ones.

I stopped myself from widening my eyes when I saw her skip over towards me. How was that even possible in those shoes?

"Please remove your robe," she politely asked me. Her voice came as another shock. I swore it belonged to a child.

"What?" I rudely responded. My brain had not come to terms with the fact that the woman, no, child in front of me was my stylist.

She smiled at me genuinely at my reaction. "I apologize," she told me. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Arys, your stylist." My disbelief must have been showing since she laughed and waved her perfectly done hands. "I know I don't look like it, but I won't disappoint you Emily!" she sang. Unconsciously, I smiled back. She must be the only Capitol citizen I could get used to. Unlike the others, she seemed sincere. "Your robe please?"

The second time around, I did it without any hesitation. She seemed like a person I could trust. She walked around me for a few seconds, her heels clicking all the while, and stopped in front of me with a happy smile on her red lips.

"Not bad!" she commented. "I'll make sure you look stunning tonight, but…" She crossed her short arms over her chest, deep in thought. "I don't want to have you looking like a brute when you ride that chariot tonight," she told me.

If she was expecting me to get into a frilly dress, then she had another thing coming.

Arys smiled back at me, seeming to have found out my concerns. "Don't worry, you won't be in something you're not comfortable with," she reassured me. "I just don't want to waste something as pretty as you," I held back a scoff, but I couldn't fight back the blush. This woman was giving me way too much credit.

"Then… What am I going to wear?"

She raised a slim finger and wagged it. "Ah, ah, ah. That's a surprise," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

For a moment, I felt something akin to worry, but the smile on the woman's face eased my nerves. I just had to take her word for it. She was adamant that I not see myself until she was finished. There was no sign of a mirror anywhere so there was really no way of finding out what she had planned for me.

I didn't know how long it took, but when she was done, the expression on her face told me that it was well worth the wait, for her standards that is.

Arys took a step back to gaze at her work, and judging by her face, she was more than happy with it, with me. "Perfect, absolutely perfect!" she giggled as she clapped her hands together. I tried to open my mouth to ask what I looked like, but she had already continued to speak. "You'll just have to see it to believe it!" She turned around and slid aside a panel in the wall, revealing a mirror.

I raised my eyebrows. So a mirror was there… "Take a look, take a look!" she insisted as she very gently guided me to the reflective surface.

The image on the mirror was that of a beautiful, elegant woman and it took me a few moments to register that it was, as a matter of fact, me. The cloth of my dress was a pristine white, but when the angle of the light was right, streaks of silver would appear. It shimmered ever so slightly that it appeared have been dusted with stars. The dress gathered at my left shoulder, where a gold pin was. Gold cuffs with vine patterns embossed on them were around my wrists and a band with identical patterns was placed on my forehead. A golden rope also hung from my waist, acting as a belt and accentuating my natural curves. My feet were put into some brown, strappy sandals.

I was wearing the deceptively simple, yet beautiful outfit. The makeup Arys had put on me was very minimal, something that I had to thank her for later on. My dark brown locks fell in natural waves, spilling over my shoulders.

"Well? What do you think? Do you like it? Did I overdo it or did I underdo it?" Arys asked excitedly like a child.

I smiled. "It's wonderful Arys. Thank you."

My stylist shook her head. "It was nothing, but you're welcome Emily," she told me. "I was playing around the idea of warrior woman at first, but the moment I saw you, I knew you couldn't pull that off." I made a face. She was right though. With how slim I looked, people would think armor would crush me. "No offense," she quickly added when she saw my reaction.

"None taken," I reassured her.

"So," she continued, "I proposed the idea of making you look desirable." I cocked an eyebrow, not entirely comprehending. "Just… When you see Alex, you'll know what I mean," she sighed, already having grown tired of talking. She fixed her things and headed for the door. She stopped in front of the open doorway before glancing back at me, a smile on her lips.

"Well? Do you want to show yourself off to the world or not?"

The Tribute Parade had gone awfully well. Alex was put into some armor and our stylists and mentors both suggested for him to look intimidating. I, on the other hand, played the defiant woman. It was fairly easy for me to play out too. I always hated being outdone so showing that I accepted the challenge of being a tribute in this year's Games was a piece of cake.

Capitol citizens always liked a tribute that could stand her ground… Or so I've heard from Arys. Enobaria didn't particularly like how I was portrayed. She said that it was just an act. She said I wouldn't last in the Games.

My train of thought was disrupted when someone in a hurry ran by, pushing me to the side. It was a fairly easy task too, what with my heels and all. Thankfully, Alex cared enough to grab my arm and stop me from falling, though I was certain that I wouldn't have fallen either if he hadn't. Once I had regained my footing, I just glared at the tribute, or in this case, _tributes_ that almost ran me over. I could see the fear in their eyes, but they weren't looking at me. They were looking at the person beside me.

_They don't see me as a threat… _I thought as I looked over to Alex. His green eyes had turned a darker shade and I could see his jaw tightening. In his current state, I had expected him to come rushing at the tributes like Cato would have, but he held back. Unlike my blond friend, he didn't have an explosive temper towards strangers.

I turned back to the poor tributes who were suffering under Alex's glare. A small smile crept into my face when I saw the girl grab the boy's sleeve for support. Her knees were literally shaking, and I was enjoying it. I would've laughed too, but that was going too far for the first night in Capitol. My eyes then focused on the boy. He wasn't as scared as the girl, but I could tell he was a bit shaken. He was trying to put up a brave face for his district partner.

"District Twelve rats," Alex muttered as he ushered me towards an elevator, his hand still around my arm. Enobaria and the others had already left for our flat. Tallia had told us that if we wanted to get some rest, we just had to press the number '2' button in the elevator. There would be a hallway. Left would be our quarters, and our mentors had the right wing. "They're not gonna last long in the Games."

Just before Alex began dragging me away, I caught sight of Twelve's tributes. The girl let out a sigh of relief when Alex turned away, and I caught a glimpse of the boy. He was still looking at us, following us with his eyes until we were inside the elevator. I had to hand it to him. He had the nerve to watch us leave, but it also made me feel strange. I could see it in his eyes that he was paying a lot of attention to me. He was no threat, that much I was sure of, but there was just really something off about it.

I just didn't know what… and I hated not knowing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"You throw like a five year old!" the tribute beside me sneered.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up Yna before I start chucking knives at you," I replied evenly. As calm as I may have appeared and sounded, the irritation was still pretty much there.

Yna only laughed harder. "With your aim? Let's see you try."

Yna was the female tribute from District One and she proved to be an annoying one. With her strawberry blond hair always tied into a thick, low braid and eyes that spoke of hidden mischief. She was a prodigy at throwing knives and judging from what I've seen so far, she could rival Clove. I admired her skill, but I just really hated her nosy, bossy and just plain bitchy attitude, especially towards me and that girl from District Four, Clear. For a District One girl, Yna wasn't really into the high class stuff. She was built for the Games, just like me. And just like me, she planned to win.

And to think we only met earlier this morning. It's a miracle I hadn't killed her during lunch.

"Keep talking bitch and I'll make sure you'll regret it," I said as I grabbed hold of another knife. I sent it flying and hit the dummy a few millimeters off from the bull's-eye. I internally sighed. That would give me another mouthful of insults from Yna. She made me angry at first with the things she said, but now I just found it sad. I just humored her for the fun of seeing her myriad of reactions. It was like watching a very unrealistic reality show.

"Mind if I join ladies?" came a familiar voice. I turned towards whoever saved me from another of Yna's verbal attacks but only became dismayed when I saw Kai, the boy from District Four.

Kai wasn't bad, or rude, or mean, or brutal, or anything like that. He was actually a pretty decent man for someone trained for the Games. I just didn't like how he was trying to pull off 'The Finnick' as I liked to call it for lack of a better term. Most of the female tributes _and_ female sponsors fell for it, but I doubted Finnick himself liked what he was doing. I saw the acclaimed victor last night and noticed the concerned, bordering worried look on his face. I particularly overheard how he and the other mentor with him were sad at how their stylists presented them, 'like treats for the dogs.'

But then again, it wasn't my business and Kai would end up dead. In the end, all of them would.

"I don't mind," I answered with a shrug. "But ask Yna though. Apparently, she _owns_ these knives."

Kai responded with a hearty laugh while Yna was not as amused. "I only wish," she muttered. "Need anything Kai?"

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Well actually," he began, "I just wanted to make sure you two haven't killed each other yet." At that, we both glared at the boy. "No, but seriously Emily… Alex and I have been watching and someone's been paying a little too much attention to you."

I grunted. "Kai, almost everyone's watching. With you hogging Alex and Clear almost always with Arc, you kinda left me with little-miss-knives here. And if it isn't obvious, I kinda don't like her."

"Don't talk like I'm not even here you little-"

"That's not our point Emily," Kai cut in. The boy had an impeccable sense of timing that just made me happy. He knew just when to talk to stop Yna from yapping. The District Four native pointed across the room towards the pair of tributes bent over one of the fire pits. They seemed to be busy so I meant to ask Kai what was up but before I could, he began to explain. "The boy from Twelve keeps looking your way."

"You sure he's not looking at Yna?" I asked, a smirk on my face. In my short time of knowing Yna, I came to find out that she detested people from the poorer districts.

Yna made a face. "Yuck. I don't want a District Twelve ogling me." She pushed me forward, as if presenting me to the tributes. "He's all yours Emily. Go get 'em tiger."

"What the fuck?" I exclaimed.

"Cut it out you two," we heard Kai tell us. As soon as Yna stopped pushing me, which wasn't that soon at all, Kai turned to me. "Just watch your back Emily. And watch Alex. He's been meaning to have a 'talk' with the kid," he said, complete with air quotation marks to make his point.

My eyes fell onto the District Twelve boy and I just barely missed him looking at me. "Yeah, I'll do that," I said detachedly, my eyes still lingering on the tribute.

At that point, the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of training. Most of the tributes were tired, having not experienced any kinds of training at all. I caught sight of the District Eleven tributes and noticed their shoulders hunched over in despair. They knew they weren't going to win. Twelve year olds almost always never make it past the Bloodbath.

"And that's a wrap," Yna announced with joy. "Until tomorrow bitches!" she shouted as she made for the door and became the first to leave. Kai waved goodbye before retrieving a lone Clear. I searched for any sign of Alex but I couldn't find him among the blur of moving tributes. God, we were only twenty-four and dropping and I still couldn't find him. What was I? Blind? Dad would hit me for being so stupid.

In defeat, I decided to go back to our floor by myself. I passed by a few tributes still training, doing the horizontal rope course. It'll only be a few minutes before they would be forced to go down. As I passed by, I noticed Twelve separate from his district partner and head for the double doors leading to the fountains. My eyes flickered back to the exit and I finally saw Alex just about to leave.

Should I just let Twelve be, or settle this before it ends with an overprotective Alex 'talking' with the poor guy? One side of me was telling me to let the guy get what he deserves, but another side told me to settle this in a more civilized manner – that is, making sure that Twelve doesn't mess with me, or Alex, or any of the Careers if he wanted to live. Longer.

I took one step forward before making a complete turn for the fountains. The rest of the Careers were nowhere in sight, with the exception of my district partner. Thankfully, Alex hadn't seen me yet and it was easy for me to get away. I knew he wouldn't notice I was gone until he reached our floor. That gave me at most ten minutes or so to talk.

Twelve had just left the training room and I was right behind him. As soon as the door closed behind me, I spoke my mind.

"So what's your problem with me?" I asked, causing the guy to turn around with wide, surprised, gray eyes. "Aside from me probably going to kill you, that is," I quickly added as I crossed my arms.

"W-What?" he stammered, taking a step back.

I frowned. I hated people playing dumb. "I know you heard me Twelve." As I took a step forward, the boy took another one back. "Afraid of me kid?" I chuckled. "Well, I guess you-"

"I'm far from it." I blinked, but kept my face a cold mask. I stared at the tribute and I could see that he wasn't afraid anymore. Honestly, I was surprised, but I couldn't show that. Not in front of another tribute. Not in front of someone who should fear me. Dad always told me to never let your emotions show, especially in front of the enemy.

Forcing another chuckle, I shook my head. "Alright," I said, with a click of a tongue, "let's just say that I believe you and-"

A smile appeared on the tribute's face. "Oh believe me, I'm not afraid of you." At that, I was left speechless. My mouth, I knew, was left open. My eyes, I could feel, were wide. The hand pushing my chin up and my mouth closed snapped me out of my stupor. "Hey, you don't want flies in your mouth don't you?" he softly chuckled, tapping my chin twice before moving away.

He was lucky that he moved when he did because my hand had moved to punch, slap or in any way harm him. It would have been not only painful, but also might get me disqualified for harming another tribute. I huffed upon realizing that I had missed. "Look here Twelve," I growled, seething in anger. I've had enough insults from home and I would not have it here, where I was supposed to be one of the most fearsome, especially from a District Twelve rat. "If you're looking for a death wish then you've got it right here. Just say the word and I won't hesitate to kill you."

Twelve raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you angry and-" His eyes shifted away from my face and then back to mine a second. "You're bleeding."

That got me to distract me from my rage. "What?" I blurted out as I looked down and assessed myself. I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary though, causing my anger to grow even more. "I don't see anything Twelve. If you're trying to screw with me…"

He shook his head. "No, seriously. Look." He grabbed my left hand, startling me. Oh, _that_. He showed me the stupid wound I got from breaking a cup earlier. Enobaria and I had gotten into a verbal argument and I crushed the glass of juice I was holding. An Avox had put some ointment on it that was supposed to heal it immediately, but I guess immediately wasn't immediate enough.

"It's nothing you idiot," I rashly said, instinctively pulling my hand away.

"Nothing?" he echoed, dubious. "You've been training with that? What if it got infected? You'd be out of the Games." That fact struck a nerve. "Come on. Let's get that cleaned," he said, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me to the nearest sink.

I widened my eyes when I realized where he was taking me. "I am _not_ going into the men's room!" I firmly stated. The hell I was going in there. I'd die before doing anything like that. Unlike my father, my mother taught me to be proper.

Twelve gave me a look. "And where are we going to clean that?" I pointed to door right beside it and almost laughed at his reaction. Despite his tanned skin, the blush on his cheeks was more than evident. "I-I h-haven't notice that b-before," he stammered as he stared at the row of sinks nearby. He was obviously embarrassed. "Well, come on then," he said, tugging on me again. Doesn't he recover quickly?

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. "I'll clean it myself Twelve," I mumbled as I watched him turn on the faucet.

"Seth."

"Huh?"

He gave me a warm smile. "My name's Seth," he reiterated. "And no, I'll clean it. I've got a friend back in Twelve that taught me stuff like these." Having no answer to that, I kept quiet. I watched with a frown on my face as he put my hand under the water and gently began to clean it with water and soap. I noticed his hands were a lot bigger than mine, and more callous in spite of my years of handling weapons.

My eyes travelled to his face and it was completely different from his hands. Unlike his rough hands, his face was smooth and his expression, genuinely concerned. I could tell by his eyes that he was sweet and caring too. They were too soft, leading me to that conclusion. From what I could see, he had muscle, unlike the usual starving tributes Twelve had to offer. He could have potential, but I knew he was not for the Games.

"What are you after?" I unconsciously asked. Despite my rude question, his expression was still at ease.

"I'm not after anything," he replied casually. "You're an injured girl and I wanted to help." It was then that he finished cleaning and drying my hand with a towel, letting me keep the towel he had with him.

My frowned deepened. "Why?"

He shrugged. "That's how I was raised, y'know? In Twelve… It's a hard place to live in. Mom told me that there's nobody else to help us but ourselves… or something along those lines." He chuckled. "Kinda like that."

"But I could kill you," I stated.

A smile appeared on his face. It was sad, sweet and tugged at my heart. "Then that's a chance I'd have to take." Another laugh. "Besides, my mom would kill me if I didn't help an injured person… let alone a girl."

I opened my mouth to say something that could knock him back into the real world, but I was at a loss for words. His sad, sad smile still burned in my memory. He was resigned to his fate, but he wasn't like the girls from Six who wanted death, nor the other tributes who were frightened. He… He still wanted to make the most out of his life even though he knew he was going to die.

"Hey, I'd close your mouth for you, but I'd end up getting hurt," he joked.

I shook my head, closing my mouth in the process. "I… I gotta go," I quietly said, taking slow steps backwards.

"Oh, so soon?" I didn't answer. "Well… Alright then. See you tomorrow?" I nodded. "I'll get to talk to you again?" I shrugged. "Can I at least get your name?" I hesitated before answering. I shouldn't be knowing and giving names, but no one was around so it should be fine, right?

"Emily…" I turned my head slightly and saw the time. It had already been twenty minutes. Alex would be worried. "I really need to go." I made an about face for the door, only to hesitate in mid-step and turn around again. "Thanks… Seth."

Seth smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, Emily."

"But don't get me wrong," I said, my tone serious. "If I see you in the Arena, if there's a chance for me to kill you… I will." He nodded again. He knew. I knew he knew and that made it all the more troubling.

"Make it quick?" The question hurt me, surprisingly. I wasn't supposed to be so soft, but the way he accepted his death was just so wrong. It didn't feel right that he was happy while facing certain death. If I were his position, untrained and unprepared, I'd be past hysterical. But here he was, easy going and calm, still having the nerve to make fun of a Career. It wasn't right to let him suffer, so I said what I knew was the right answer.

"Alright."

* * *

_And this would be my VERY first Author's Note for this story. I'm very sorry about the change of content, if anyone noticed. It took me a very long time to notice that I had uploaded the wrong, not finalized chapter. I hope you like this chap better XD I personally prefer this one._

_And then there are my reviewers. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Hehehe. Your words are rays of sunshine._

_RosyRaine_

_P.S. Sorry for the late updates. Still adjusting to college life I guess…_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It's been a whole day since my conversation with the boy from Twelve. Our second day of training had passed without incident. The only thing out of the ordinary yesterday was Twelve's constant checking on me. I had caught him every time and with each, he gave me a subtle smile before turning away. The same thing happened earlier today. We weren't friends or anything, but he smiled at me like we had known each other since forever.

Alex and I were sitting outside the training room, waiting for our names to be called. Today was the third and last day of training and we were going to have our sessions with the Gamemakers. Then tomorrow night was going to be the announcement of our scores and the night after that was our interview with Caesar Flickerman. I knew I was gonna hate the interview.

"_Arc Hanes, District One,"_ came the robotic voice. Arc – a large, muscled boy with looks to match – fluidly got up and gave us a thumbs up before heading inside. Though Arc didn't look the part, he was funny. His size only increased the hilarity of his antics, especially during lunch break. Even the other tributes couldn't stop their laughter once Arc opened his mouth to say something hilarious. From time to time, I'd call him 'Sunshine' or 'Sunny' due to his upbeat attitude, but it was that kind of perkiness I knew was dangerous. Sometimes, it was the most enthusiastic tributes that were the most twisted. Example, Clove.

A few minutes passed and the speaker buzzed to life. _"Yna Moore, District One."_

"See ya tonight guys," she cheered as she skipped towards the training room. And before I knew it, Alex was called.

"_Alex Frost, District Two."_ Alex, I knew, would just head straight for the swords and begin slashing the dummies without any hesitation. I've watched him train and I had to admit, he was good, better than the last I saw him. But there was something familiar to his fighting style. It was almost like Ryan's, which I understood since he was practically Ryan's apprentice.

"_Emily Rosewood, District Two."_ I took a deep breath before getting up. This would be easy. I just needed to grab a bow and a few arrows and shoot like there was no tomorrow, and if I still had the time, throw a few knives.

When I entered the room, all the weapons were neatly displayed for me to use. Up above, the Gamemakers were watching carefully. Fortunately, I was from Two and was one of the first to go for the session. I felt bad for Ten, Eleven and Twelve. By the time they get their turn, the Gamemakers would be bored and tired and sleepy.

I grabbed the silver bow without any hesitation and slung a quiver full of arrows over my shoulder. There was only one dummy for the archery range, but there were a lot all over the place, at the swords station, the knives, the axes. I smiled. I was so gonna make this interesting for them. I turned to the Gamemakers and stood up straight. "Emily Rosewood, District Two."

A man with a cleanly cut beard nodded. "You may proceed, Ms. Rosewood." I nodded in response and took my position in front of the one dummy assigned for archers. I took my stance and the rest came naturally. My arms moved on their own and before I could even think of what I was going to do, the arrow had already hit its target, right in the bull's-eye.

But I didn't have time to revel in my accomplishment. These people wanted action and I'd give it to them. I quickly turn about, another arrow already loaded, and shot one of the dummies at the farthest end of the room where the swords were. I hit that one in the bull's-eye too. I then dropped to one knee and turned to my right, where another dummy was. It was assigned for the axes, but it was also mine for the taking.

I went on like that for God knows how long. I only stopped shooting when I realized I had run out of arrows. I gave a quick once over at my 'victims.' I took down all six dummies from the swords, the seven from the knives, three from the axes and two from the spears. I was going for another one, but like I said, I ran out of arrows.

Panting, I faced the Gamemakers and I could see they were impressed. It was a relief that they like my performance, but the grins on some of them were sickening and sent chills up my spine. "You may leave, Ms. Rosewood," the bearded man from earlier said. I gave a curt bow and quickly returned the bow before leaving at the opposite side of the room.

Outside, Alex was waiting for me, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "How'd it go?" he asked as he pushed himself off of the wall.

I shrugged. "Good. And you?"

He flashed me a smile. "Same. This would get us a lot of sponsors," he chuckled before draping an arm over my shoulder and motioning for us to go. "Come on. Let's grab something to eat. I'm starving."

"But you just ate," I argued. It was true. Before the private sessions, Alex had eaten a lot, and when I say 'a lot', I mean it. "How many stomachs do you have?"

"I don't really know," he answered, laughing. "But you should be used to it Em. Remember that time when I almost emptied your fridge?"

I smiled at the memory. "Yeah… Mom thought someone had broken in and stole all our food," I said, stifling my laughter. "Dad was rounding up the boys when he found you and food wrappers inside Ryan's room." At that, my district partner gave out a hearty laugh.

"Almost got beaten for that stunt," he told me, to which I raised an eyebrow to. "You didn't know?" I shook my head, my brows pulling together. "Your dad was so mad that he made me do fifty push-ups in your backyard. It would've been worse if your mom hadn't talked him out of making me do a hundred and spar with him."

A low whistle escaped my lips. "Never knew that," I mumbled. "I would've loved to see that though." He shot me a glare. "Oh come on. I rarely see you get punished. I would've laughed my ass off."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Exactly. That's why you and your mom went to store to pick up 'important' things. So you wouldn't laugh."

"Now that's just wrong," I muttered, bitterly. Since Alex was only a visitor, he almost never had to hear from my dad. So if he got into trouble with him, it was one of those once-in-a-blue-moon things if he got punished. Dad would just keep his mouth shut whenever Alex did something wrong, but I never thought he'd actually punish Alex. That would've been such a sight.

"Laughing at people's pain is wrong," Alex stated.

"Tell that to Clove and Cato," I said. My district partner made a face that did not go unnoticed. "What?"

"What what?" By that time, we already reached the elevator. Alex pushed a button and the metal doors slid open immediately and we both got in.

"What's with that look?"

"What look?"

I frowned. "Stop being so immature and tell me what's wrong. It's about Cato and Clove isn't it?" He made a face again. "You don't like them, do you?" It was more of a statement as it was a question. I shrugged his arm away and took a step away from him.

"Em, look. It's not I don't like them but…"

"But?"

Alex took a few seconds to plan what he was going to say next. He felt the gravity of saying something against the only friends I had left. "I think… I think they're not good for you." At first I couldn't understand what he meant, or I refused to, but then I got it. He wanted me to get away from them, which was stupid because if I don't win, his advice would be meaningless. But then again, who said I was gonna lose?

"How could you say that?" I quietly asked. Honestly, I was disappointed. He should have known better than to do what he just did.

"They're different Emily," he explained. "They're monsters. They kill because they want to." He frowned. "And if you haven't noticed, Clove has a few screws loose and Cato… He's just a ticking time bomb."

"Oh that's such a nice description," came my sarcastic reply. "And I suppose you're a better friend? You got up and left that day. You left when I needed you most Alex. You were my only friend and you just left me hanging." Judging by his reaction, my words hurt him. He had his head lowered just as the doors opened at our floor. "If you think you're any better than them then you're wrong," I muttered bitterly as I got off. Alex followed close behind me, trying to catch up with me, but I only sped up my pace until we got to our flat.

"Emily, come on. That was years ago," Alex finally said when he closed the door behind him. I completely ignored him and grabbed an apple from the dining table. "Em," he groaned. I made my way towards my room as I took a bite out of my apple, but Alex grabbed me by the wrist and forced me to face him. "You really won't let it go, will you?"

I looked up, pretending to think it over as I chewed. Man, was that apple tasty. "Let's see," I began after swallowing the piece of fruit. "You leave me hanging for, I dunno.. Four years, and then talk to me like it's all fine and dandy?" I shook my head. "I don't think so." I put on a bitter smile. "You hardly even know me anymore."

"That's not true," he answered defensively, his tone taking me by surprise, but I didn't show it. I kept my face even, my eyes at him. "I know you love hamsters, but your dad didn't allow you to have one." My chest tightened. That was ages ago. "You hate the rain because everything looked sad, but you love snow because everything sparkled. Your favorite color is dark green, like the color of the pines on the mountains. You love green apples and hate pears." I unconsciously glanced at the apple in my hand. It was, indeed, green.

I huffed. "That was then. People change Alex. That's why you left. You changed when… when Ryan died, when all of them finally died." Silence fell between us. I knew he had something to say, but I wasn't going to let him. "You know what, I'm tired and this shouldn't matter anymore."

"It matters to me Em," he said, refusing to let go of my wrist. "I needed to grow stronger Em, please understand that."

"For what?" I asked. "You didn't have to. And if you did, we could've trained together. So what's so important that-"

"You."

I blinked and the first thing to leave my mouth was a stupid, "What?"

Alex lowered his head. "Your brothers… They asked me to protect you. They asked me to do whatever it took to keep you alive, even if it meant going into the Games and die." My grip on the apple loosened and it fell.

"You too huh?" I quietly said. "You think I can't handle this, huh? You think I'll just die like the rest of them?" I realized that my voice was growing louder and louder, but I didn't care. Peacekeepers could take me to a mental institution and I still wouldn't care.

"Emily, that's not-"

I finally got him to let go of my wrist after a good shake and I bolted towards the door. "I'm outta here," I murmured just as I left. On the way to the elevator, I passed by Arys, Tallia and our mentors. What great timing. Before they could say anything, I said, "Fuck off." I left them there with confused faces and pushed a button, opening the elevator. I could hear Alex calling out for me, but I quickly closed the door behind me. I just punched the panel and in a matter of seconds I found myself face to face with Twelve's drunkard mentor, Haymitch Abernathy.

The sight and stench of the man was enough to make me forget about my anger and my eyes flew to the number on top. It read twelve.

"Looky here," he said in a drunken slur. God his breath smelled horrible. "What're you doing all the way up here sweetheart?" I twitched at the nickname.

"It's none of your business… Mr. Abernathy." He raised an eyebrow.

"Blowing off steam?" he asked, though he knew I wasn't gonna answer. He pointed towards the left corridor with a hand. "Try that spot." I gave him curt nod before getting off. He got on and closed the elevator after him. I turned towards the direction he pointed and realized that it led to the rooftop. Having nowhere else to go, I took the drunkard's advice and went on ahead. It was funny that I took advice from an enemy's mentor when I wouldn't listen to my own, not they said anything at all though.

As soon as I opened the door, a sour voice spoke. "I'm not going back until he's gone Steph." The owner of the voice turned around and I found out it was Twelve. I could tell he was surprised what with his wide eyes and open mouth. "Emily… I… I thought you were someone else."

"Don't use my name like we're friends Twelve," I bitterly said, remembering why I was up here in the first place.

He frowned. "Please call me Seth," he requested, but I ignored it completely. Killing tributes was going to be a lot easier if I didn't know them. The less I knew about Seth, I mean, Twelve, the better. Alex was already going to be difficult and I didn't need another obstacle.

"Whatever," I grunted as I walked over to the edge. The fresh air was a welcome change compared to the cold, air-conditioned room I had.

"That bad, huh?" Twelve sighed. "I doubt you messed up down there, so it must be about the Careers."

"Shut up."

Seth nodded. "So it's your district partner. I know. Stephanie gets on my nerves too when she keeps asking where I was. I don't blame her though. She's scared to be alone with all these people wanting to kill her."

"Now what? You're protecting her too?" I growled. "Not everyone is _that_ helpless! Where the hell is the sense in protecting someone from the Games when they're already in it?" The tribute frowned. "Don't give me that 'no one to help so let's help each other' shit. This is the fucking Games and everyone is on their own here." I raised my hands in frustration. "Where and when did you see more than one victor in a Games?"

"Emily?" Seth called out, but I didn't hear him. I was in the middle of releasing my anger and I didn't want to stop because it felt nice finally let everything out.

"I worked and trained my entire life for this!" I shouted. "I became strong and deadly because my dad wouldn't have it any other way, but still! My friends think I can't win this! My dad thinks I'm gonna lose! Hell, my mentor even thinks I'll die on the first day!" My hands flew to my head and I clutched onto my hair. "I worked so hard and they still think I can't do it! It just isn't _fair_!" I tried to tug on my hair but Seth stopped me. He took hold of my hands and held it in his. I tried to get away, but he had a tight, but not painful, grip on them.

I turned to look at him and I was greeted by a kind smile. "I think you can win," he softly said as he let go of my hands.

Despite his kind words, I only felt worse. "You shouldn't be saying that to me," I told him in a quiet voice. I told him that because it was stupid for him to do so.

"You're right. I shouldn't," he agreed, "But I'd be lying if I said otherwise." His words should really be making me feel better, but they weren't. Was I really going to kill this kind, kind boy? He could just be playing, but I doubted it.

An awkward silence fell between us before I decided to speak. "So why are you up here?"

He sighed. "Messed up down in the training room and I got a mouthful from Effie and some jabs from Haymitch." I huffed. "You feel better now?"

I nodded. "I guess."

Seth smiled. "That's good. I hate seeing a sad girl, especially as pretty as you." I snorted. "Hey, it's the truth."

Shaking my head, I laughed. Was this guy for real? "Bit of advice Seth: Don't fall for the people that'll kill you, or you'll kill." I untied my hair and ran a hand through it. "This _is_ a nice place to blow off steam." With a deep breath, I made my way back to the door.

"You're leaving?"

"Duh."

"We'll talk again, right?"

"Would you stop asking that?"

"Well, will we?"

"Maybe."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"_Everybody, let's welcome our first tribute, Yna Moore from District One!"_ People cheered and my heart skipped a beat. It had begun. I was nervous beyond words. If it weren't for the fact that I was sitting down, my knees would've given way and I'd be on the floor. Three minutes, six if I counted Arc's interview and then it would be me. Being in front of a large crowd wasn't something new to me, but Caesar would be asking me questions and I had to answer and still maintain the humble, yet capable girl character that Tallia had asked me to fill.

It was too soon when Arc was called up next. I was dressed in a layered, strapless, white frock. Dark blue chiffon was visible from beneath the layer of white thanks to the large slit in the middle that started from the waist. The black choker around my neck felt like it was tightening with each passing second and my black, strappy heels would break in a matter of moments if I didn't stop tapping them against the cold, marble floor. I wanted to tear off my dangling silver earrings and remove the jewel-encrusted pin that kept my brown hair in a messy, yet favorable, up do. And if I hadn't tore a hole in my white shawl that lied on my lap, then by the time I got onto that chair on the stage, it would have one.

But in spite of all those raging emotions, I sat still, perfectly calm as I watched Arc's interview on the screen. My foot tapping and shawl-tearing went by unnoticed and if someone saw me, they would think it was out of impatience.

I glanced to my left and I could tell Alex was in a better state. He was in a pair of black pants and a pale blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his biceps. I held in a snort. What were we, a pair? We hadn't talked since our argument and it was really getting tiring, but someone needed to apologize first. And I was one hundred percent sure that it wasn't going to be me. It was stupid, I knew, but he started it and he should end it.

A loud roar of applause came from the speakers and I looked up at the screen. _"And our time's up with Arc."_ Caesar, who had chosen neon pink his color for this year's Games, patted the large boy at the back. At that moment, Peacekeepers were at either side of me, ushering me to get up and move. _"Let's give a warm round of applause for our next tribute, Emily Rosewood from District Two!"_

To my surprise, I had a lot of fans if the volume of their cheers were anything to go by. I took a deep breath before waltzing onto the stage, the spotlight following me.

"Welcome, welcome Ms. Rosewood!" Caesar cheered as he took hold of my hand and guided me to the chair. "My, you look even prettier in person," he commented, turning to the audience for some positive feedback. "What do you think everyone? Isn't she just a pretty little thing?" The onlookers hooted in approval which sent a slight chill down my spine.

"Please," I chuckled in embarrassment, waving a hand. "You give me too much credit Caesar." The host made a face like I had just said the most absurd thing in the world. "And call me Emily."

"I beg to differ Ms. Rosewood!" he exclaimed, the audience backing him up. "I mean, Emily. How _did_ you manage to get a ten? And according to my sources, without even messing up your hair?"

I made a shy smile. Thank god I had practiced in front of the mirror earlier. If I hadn't, I would've frowned and blurted something out unpleasant. "It wasn't all that… But I guess Capitol had rubbed off on me," I chuckled, shaking my head.

"And how _has_ your time here been?" he asked, placing an elbow on the arm of his chair and resting his head on his hand.

"Well, it's been nice," I honestly replied. "But what I love the most are the lights," I added without noticing I had said something like that. Heat rushed to my face upon realizing how childish I sound. "I mean, they're so pretty at night that… I dunno. Everything just feels right when I watch them," I sighed. My sigh was echoed by the audience. Apparently, they also liked my childish side.

Caesar nodded. "What an honest answer from an honest girl," he sighed, touched by my words. "And what about home, District Two? Your parents must be proud." I nodded.

"It's my father's dream to have a victor for a child," I answered, unknowingly echoing my brothers' answers in their own interviews. The numerous times I had watched their interview and Games had burned into my mind and unconsciously quoted them.

The pink-haired host raised an eyebrow. "Now where have I heard that before?" And then his eyes grew wide. "It can't be!" he gasped, his hands flying to his cheeks as he turned to the audience. Shock was completely written all over his face. "Dear citizens of Capitol, we have here the sister of Francis, Grant and Ryan Rosewood!"

Everyone fell into a deep silence. They were trying to remember who they were and it just made me sick that they forgot about them. "How 'bout a refresher?" Caesar chuckled. "Francis competed in the 64th Hunger Games. His younger brother, Grant, joined the 67th Hunger Games, and the most recent, Ryan, had entered the 70th Hunger Games." Suddenly, gasps erupted from the crowd and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. They remembered? I dared to glance at the large screen hanging above us and I realized they were playing clips from my brothers' Games. Figures.

Caesar then turned to me. "So you must be their beloved little sister," he concluded.

I shrugged. "I guess," I quietly answered.

"Oh don't be so modest!" he exclaimed. "So what are you planning for the Games?"

"I plan to win, and nothing more," I answered with finality. "I'll make my father, and my brothers, proud by winning and becoming the victor of the 73rd Hunger Games." And as if right on cue, the buzzer sounded.

The man smiled. "We like a girl with confidence!" He took me by surprise as he grabbed my hand and forced me up. "Everyone, Emily Rosewood of District Two and may the odds be ever in your favor!" The crowd went wild and cheered.

I left the way I came in, passing by Alex who had a serious look on his face and his eyes on me. I frowned and met him head on with a glare of my own. Neither of us would give way so we ended up bumping into each other's shoulder which was something caught on camera. The sudden silence that fell made the tension between us all the more apparent. Thankfully, Caesar cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him, and began introducing Alex. _"Everyone, let's welcome Alex Frost from District Two!"_ The crowd recovered quickly and turned back into the overly-excited audience that it was earlier.

Backstage, I was met by my mentors who were less than pleased. They didn't do anything, but if looks could kill, Enobaria had killed me ten times over. Brutus was a lot less… brutal, and merely shook his head. But I could care less about what they thought. What was important was that they liked me and that ensured me some sponsors.

Alex was in the middle of his interview when I returned to the waiting area, along with the rest of the tributes. Yna and Arc were watching the show, obviously bored. We were all required to watch the whole of the show.

"_Now I know everyone's dying to know… What was that earlier with Emily?"_ I froze at the mention of my name, but I kept my face a cold mask because of all the eyes on me. I inwardly groaned. They really wanted an issue.

My district partner hesitated before answering. _"We had a disagreement a day ago and we hadn't talked since."_

Caesar nodded appreciatively. _"You two seem to be close. How are you two related?"_

"_We were best friends when we were kids, and her brothers were my idols,"_ he honestly answered and I couldn't help but straighten myself. He was giving too much information and it was putting me under an undesirable light. If he kept it up, he'd be telling about how sad my life story is.

"_Ah, so that's how it is… And then what happened?"_

Alex interlocked his fingers and lowered his head. _"We grew distant when… well, her brothers died. It was a painful blow to both of us and I just needed to clear my thoughts." _A sigh escaped his lips. _"But when I finally tried to reach out, she was different and was surrounded by a whole different crowd."_

I gritted my teeth. He was in the middle of a fucking interview and he was still pushing his side of the argument. _"But I couldn't blame her though,"_ he quietly added. _"I left her all of a sudden. I left her when she needed me most."_ The audience sighed. _"And I'll never forgive myself for doing that."_

Again, Caesar nodded, a hand on his chin. _"Emily is playing a very important role in your life… How imp-"_ The buzzer rang, eliciting protests from the Caesar himself was disappointed that he hadn't finished his question. _"I'm sorry fellas but Alex's time with us is over." _He turned to my district partner. _"Word of advice, patch things up with your friend,"_ he said before turning back to the audience. _"Alex Frost of District Two. Let's give him another round of applause!"_ The crowd did so as Alex left the stage and the female tribute from Three came walking in, dressed in a dark green cocktail dress and a nervous smile on her face.

Thankfully, Alex had the nerve not to sit next to me and the seat at either side of me remained vacant. I was mildly amused at the situation. The tributes were avoiding me, that is, until Clear took the seat to my left.

Clear was the perfect example of a District Four tribute, beautiful, strong, but down to earth. Her blue-green eyes were easy to get lost in and her face was as exotic as her district. Us Careers knew her as the mischievous one. Mischievous in sense that she would always be planning something, whether or not it be a prank or a tribute's death. Her skills lied with the ropes she fiddled with during training. Traps, snares, nets… She knew that once her prey was captured, it would never get out alive. But despite her sadistic streak, she also knew to appreciate what the lands had provided her with and used it wisely.

"Kai's wondering if you and Alex are finally breaking up," she whispered into my ear as her eyes glanced around the room.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Typical Kai. "We aren't even an item to begin with," I answered. She gave me a look. "But since we're talking about Kai, he'll never believe it."

Clear nodded. "He chooses what to hear," she sighed, moving back and resting against the chair. "You do realize you and Alex have to talk sooner or later. We can't really work as a 'pack' if we can't settle our differences." I frowned. "But stubborn little Emily won't say sorry first, huh?" The sound of the buzzer caused Clear to look up. "Well, Kai's gonna be back. See ya tomorrow Emily."

I nodded. "See ya," I echoed, waving a hand. I caught Alex watching me and I turned away with a huff, crossing my arms.

The rest of the interviews were dull, especially the interview with the female tribute from Six. I didn't catch her name completely, but I was relatively sure that her first name was Manna. The cripple from Seven was called Monica and the two tributes from Eleven were named Jenessa and Dan. Before I knew it, it was the girl from Twelve that was coming up the stage, dressed in dark purple, halter dress. I vaguely recalled Seth calling her 'Stephanie.' According to him, she was easily scared by the slightest of things. She was even afraid of their own mentor, though having seen Haymitch himself, I couldn't blame her.

And then the buzzer sounded and I knew Seth was up next. All around me, the tributes were tired and bored, namely Yna. She had been asking the Peacekeepers if she could leave every five minutes since she got back from her interview. By now, she was pacing back and forth and Arc could only smile in amusement.

"_Last but not the least, everyone, a round warm of applause for Seth Robins!"_ The crowd cheered, but their enthusiasm had greatly diminished, as expected. Unfortunately, the tributes from Eight to Twelve were not really interesting and usually never left an impression on the audience. Seth smiled and waved as he entered, his bright personality showing. The two men exchanged greetings and soon, the interview was in full blast.

I owed Caesar some respect. He was tasked to talk to twenty-four tributes and make them look like the best, like they could win, but at the same time, it planted false hope in some of the tributes.

"_So, how are you enjoying Capitol so far?"_

Seth flashed another of his winning smiles before answering. _"I've gotta admit. The food here is great. I try to enjoy it, but Effie over there" _– he pointed at his escort – _"won't allow me."_ Caesar laughed and a few chuckles could be heard from the audience.

"_A growing man has to eat, right?"_ Caesar asked and sounds of approval answered him. _"And what about your training score. You got a seven. That's not bad."_

Twelve made a look. _"I could've done better though…"_ he stated. _"But what's done was done. Can't be moping about those kinds of things right? Besides, it's just a number."_ Seth leaned in to whisper something. _"For all we know, Manna could be plotting something as we speak."_ Caesar widened his eyes in fear and I couldn't help but smirk at how he was playing things out. Almost everyone in the room had turned to the girl from Six at the mere mention of her. Seth was planting seeds of doubt.

What a devious plot.

Caesar moved away from Seth and chuckled nervously. _"We'll find out soon enough, now won't we?"_

The tribute smirked as he reclined against the chair. He was dressed in a simple black and white suit, minus the tie. His coat was left open and the first two buttons of his white, slightly creased dress shirt were left open. _"I guess we will,"_ he coolly answered.

His angle was all over the place, I noticed. Unlike Arc who played the part of the unseemly comedian and Alex who took up the role of a cool, elusive man with a kind heart, Seth was a little bit of both, of everything. I didn't know he was trying to confuse us, or trying to keep us guessing and show us we'll never know what he's up to next.

The host nodded in content with his answer and smiled as he rested against his own chair. _"You seem like nice boy, a real gentleman… Any girl you find special?"_ I snorted, causing a few eyes to fall on me. Caesar had asked that same question to almost everyone of us tributes.

Arc had laughed it off until the buzzer rang. Yna blatantly said 'no'. Caesar ran out of time with both me and Alex. Kai stated that he didn't have a special someone and was looking for a girl to fill the role. Clear answered that she wasn't allowed until she was eighteen. Monica innocently asked if family members were considered as special people. Thankfully, Caesar didn't even dare ask the two twelve year olds from Eleven.

Seth began to chuckle and judging by the amount of time he had left, I thought he was going out the way Arc did. But then, he ended with something that no one expected. _"If she knew, she'd kill me."_ I widened my eyes. Talk about vague. Before Caesar could get more out of him, the buzzer rang. The two men bid each other thanks and farewell, before Seth left the stage. It was obvious that the crowd was restless with his answer. There was nothing more sought than a love story here in , the Hunger Games had no room for that kind of tale.

Who in their right mind would fall in love with the person they were going to kill?

* * *

_I am unbelievably inspired thanks to this one week long suspension of classes thanks to the monsoon rains. Can you believe that we were stranded for two/three days in our house thanks to the flood water? Good thing though the water didn't get in, but hell, it was up to the waist outside._

_Please pray for the Philippines, whose citizens are now trying to recover from the recent calamity._

_RosyRain_

_P.S. And because I have so many ideas running around my mind right now, please forgive my grammar and spelling if ever you see mistakes._

_P.P.S. I'm trying to make up for all the weeks I hadn't updated too._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The tracker embedded into my arm was still itchy, but I didn't even dare scratch it for fear of accidentally removing morbidly. Creepy, bloody images flashed right before my eyes as I imagined what would happen if I did scratch the annoying lump. I also didn't appreciate the fact that if I looked closely, a blue, pulsing light could be seen. Not only did it look wrong, it felt wrong.

Sighing, I slid down the sleeve of my black sweater. Us tributes were quietly waiting for the aircraft to land. We were all dressed in identical clothing, with the exception of our scarves. District One wore dark red ones. Two were assigned the color dark green. Four had dark blue sweaters. I found it mildly amusing, but I guessed that it would make identifying from what district we were easier.

I closed my eyes and let my head fall against the seat I was in. Adrenalin was starting flow through my veins even though we weren't even below the Arena yet. My blood ran cold, yet it felt so good. I was entirely sure whether I was frightened or excited. I only opened my eyes when the aircraft landed and I was asked to get up.

A pair of Peacekeepers led me to the launch room where I was to wait until the countdown. Arys was sitting there, waiting for me to do the final preparations. A pale green parka hung from the wall and a pair of brown gloves lied on a nearby table. Arys and I were completely silent as she tied my hair into a neat bun and put the remaining article of clothing on me.

Once she was done, she took a step back and forced a smile which resulted to a look of utter pain. She didn't want me to go, but I could tell that she was also proud of me. She knew I could win this thing, but there was always that small chance that I couldn't. I might be a Career, but I was no superhuman. I was still a girl, young and mortal. I could die today, or tomorrow, or after ten years. The bottom line was, when my time comes, there was nothing I could do about it.

"You look beautiful," she whispered as she tenderly pushed back a few locks of hair that had escaped the bun she made. I grabbed onto her hand and relished its warmth, pushing it against my cheek.

"It's all thanks to you," I answered, a small smile creeping onto my face. "Promise me you'll plan my outfit for the crowning ceremony when I win?" She nodded, a happier smile appearing on her face.

"You have my word," she said with a nod. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, but she bravely held them back. "You'll win." She meant it as a statement, but it came out as a question, asking me reassure her.

I nodded. "Of course I will." Arys then wrapped her arms around me tightly and I reciprocated her actions. "I'll win. I'll win for you and everyone else." I felt her nod against my skin.

"_Thirty seconds."_

Arys then gently pulled away and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. "You'll do great out there," she stated, confidence returning to her voice. "Keep dry and stay warm Emily. Always have a plan and be ready for anything, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," I answered, causing her to smile even wider.

"_Twenty seconds."_

My stylist patted my shoulder and sighed. "Good girl." She tried to tuck the stubborn lock of hair behind my ear, but it just wouldn't stay put to which Arys responded with a slight pout.

"It's just hair Arys. Let it go," I stated as I watched her struggle with it.

Sighing in defeat, she let it be and guided me to a transparent glass tube. From the countless Games I've seen, I knew that it would be pushing us up into the Arena, where the countdown to the Hunger Games would begin. "Go and make me proud Emily," she whispered before letting go of my hand.

"_Ten seconds."_

I took a deep breath before stepping into the tube. I turned around and watched the opening disappear, keeping me in. My eyes found Arys' and she forced a smile that was meant to encourage me. I smiled in return to reassure her and I waved goodbye. She did the same just as the platform I was standing on began to move up.

In spite of the bright lights below, the morning rays of the sun still managed to blind me and leave me disoriented. As unbalanced as I was, I didn't dare move anything aside from my arms. One false step and it could mean my end. Leave the plate early or linger on it after the countdown reaches zero, a tribute would meet its untimely death. The plate would explode, leaving nothing but bits and pieces of the tribute. There wouldn't be anything to bury.

Seconds passed and I struggled to regain my vision. With each time I tried to open my eyes, I closed them immediately, having been assaulted with an outrageous amount of light. When I finally got my eyesight back to normal, my eyes grew wide at my surroundings.

Snow. That's all I could see. Snow and ice. And then, I smiled. The odds were in my favor.

I did not grow up in District Two and not get used to its cold winters. Two was known as a mining district, but unlike Twelve, it was much wealthier. Each side you looked, there would be snow-capped mountains to greet your eyes and here in this particular Arena, it was no different. Winters in Two were unusually cold and snow-filled, making training even harder, but I learned to cope. I learned to adapt and that was why I loved the snow. I had conquered it.

"_Ten."_

"And so the countdown begins," I muttered under my breath, a cloud of vapor appearing right before my face. I bent my knees and prepared myself to run once the gong sounds.

"_Nine."_ I dared to glance to my left and saw Clear one tribute away from me and Arc eight tributes down as he stood at the left most plate.

"_Eight."_ A faint laughter echoed throughout the Arena which was irrefutably Yna's. I turned to my right and I could see Yna's wide smile as she stood right in front of the Cornucopia. Kai was right beside her and for once, I saw him with a serious expression on his face.

"_Seven."_ All that was left was Alex. Where was he? I quickly searched for his face and found him standing eleven tributes away to my right. His brows were pulled together and I could tell that he was just dying to run towards the bounty of weapons inside the Cornucopia.

"_Six."_ I noticed a pair of eyes on me and focused on the tribute right beside Alex. I was Seth and he was mouthing me 'good luck' after sending a kind smile my way. I shook my head and turned back to the Cornucopia.

"_Five."_ A bow. I needed a bow. My priority was the bow. I quickly scanned the mouth of the Cornucopia in search of my favorite weapon.

"_Four."_ The corners of my mouth twitched as I caught sight of the elegant silver bow resting against a bag of supplies. Right beside it was a quiver full of arrows.

"_Three."_ I began stretching my fingers to relieve some excitement. Finally, some live victims.

"_Two."_ Another excited laugh came from Yna and began doubting her sanity.

"_One."_

There was split second of tense silence before the gong sounded and all of us were sent running. Us Careers headed straight for the Cornucopia and began the bloody battle for its supplies. The bold, or stupid, ran after us and challenged us. The wise, or scared, ran for the woods that were made up of towering pine trees.

Yna was the first to reach the Cornucopia, having no obstacles in her way, and managed to quickly grab a set of throwing knives. I was next and I didn't even hesitate to take claim on the bow and arrows. We were the first to get to the Cornucopia, we were the first to arm ourselves, and we were the first to kill.

I could hear Yna's squeals of delight as she threw her knives. The boy from district Seven was no match to her. He didn't even reach the Cornucopia when Yna sent a knife his way. It hit him right in the chest before Yna threw another at him for good measure.

Unnerved by my fellow Career's happiness, I loaded my bow and took down the boy from Eight, but he was too fast and I had to spend another arrow before he fell to the ground, dead. By the time I had taken him down, the rest of the Careers had joined the fray. I was searching for my next victim when I locked eyes with the girl from Six, Manna. She was just standing there in front of her plate. She was the girl with a death wish. She nodded my way and mouthed, 'please.' I was more than willing to end her suffering. In a matter of moments, she was on the ground, an arrow sticking out of her chest.

"How many?" I heard Yna ask.

"One going on two," came Arc's reply as he struggled with the girl from Eight. She was quick and had managed to avoid Arc's attacks.

"Two going on three for both of us," Clear answered. I spared her a glance and noticed that she and Kai were working as a team. Of course they would. Clear was the kind of person to sit patiently for her next victim and when an unsuspecting tribute falls for her trap, she would not hesitate to kill the poor kid. Besides, the spear in her hand was no good to her and she was relying on Kai to have her back.

"Two, going on three," I replied and I waited for Alex's answer as I scanned the area for more victims.

"Two over here!" Alex called from far away. I tried to look for him, but he was outside my line of sight. What I _did_ see was Seth picking up a backpack. I loaded my bow once again and aimed for him. There was a sick feeling in my stomach when he noticed me aiming for him, ready to kill him.

'_Make it quick?'_ his voice echoed within my head. I gritted my teeth as I shifted my angle a bit at the last moment and shot the boy from Three, missing Seth by a few inches. Seth took the opportunity to run at that point towards the woods. I reached back for another arrow, but my hand was caught. I quickly turned around to the best of my capabilities and saw that it was the girl from Three. I struggled and was about to kick her when her grip on me went limp. She soon fell, revealing Alex holding a bloody sword.

"Thanks," I muttered as I shook my wrist. I made a quick glance around and raised an eyebrow. "It's over, huh?"

Alex nodded. "Twelve got away?" he asked in an even tone, looking at the direction Seth went. It was my turn to nod.

"Twelve got away," I echoed as an answer.

* * *

_And so the Games begin. This may be my last update for the next few weeks since school's about to start again and exams are nearing. I dunno if I could update one last time before taking a break._

_Oh, and by the way, reviews are very much appreciated._

_RosyRain_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I huffed, a cloud of vapor appearing before my face. The sun had set a long time ago and the moon was still high in the sky. It didn't seem like the night wouldn't end as quickly as we all wanted it to. None of us knew how long we had been hunting and the recap of all deaths had long passed. As soon as darkness had fallen, we set out to finish up the remaining survivors, but that had been hours ago. I suspected it was already about midnight, but every time I checked the moon's position, it was still there in the middle of the sky.

"I can't take it anymore!" Yna finally exclaimed. She had been mumbling to herself since the beginning of our hunt, complaining about how cold it was and all. Yna dropped what few supplies she was carrying onto the ground and sat down on the bag. "I am not gonna risk losing my fingers out here!" For once, I agreed with her. Though I might be used to extreme cold, this was just too extreme. I could only wonder what the tributes were doing to keep warm.

The sound of another pack dropping caught my attention and I saw Kai stabbing his spear onto the ground. "How 'bout we just call it a night guys?" he suggested. "As much as I want to get this done and over with, I want to do that with all my fingers attached." He glanced to the side before regaining eye contact with Alex. "Besides, Clear looks like she's about to fall asleep standing." I turned towards Clear's general direction and indeed, her eyes were getting noticeably heavier.

A yawn stretched out and I could definitely tell it was Arc's. I then turned to Alex who was right beside me. He had a straight face, but he was tired. I could see it in his posture and I could see it in his eyes. And though I hated to admit it, I was pretty worn out as well. Sighing, I placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it gently, effectively focusing his attention on me. "Hey, we can't go on like this. Everyone's tired. Let's go back to the Cornucopia. 'Sides, if we don't get them tonight, the cold will."

Alex pursed his lips in thought and after a few moments, he sheathed his sword. "Come on. We'll continue this in morning when we've all gotten some rest." A sigh of relief echoed throughout the group and we all headed back to the Cornucopia.

* * *

I was fast asleep until a very harsh, cold wind blew past us. It seemed that I was the only one that stirred from my shallow sleep as far as I could determine with the use of my groggy, blurry vision. I briefly got up, having initially assumed that an enemy had dared to go near us, but I soon lied back down and slipped deeper into my less than warm sleeping bag. I inched to the left towards Clear, hoping to get some warmth from her, but to my dismay, she was not where she was supposed to be. That waked me up a bit, but then I realized it must have been her turn to take watch.

Shrugging, I moved to the right, where Yna was supposed to be. Thankfully, she didn't disappoint and unconsciously moved closer to me as well in order to share some warmth. It was still cold, but it was better than what I was experiencing a while ago.

Soon enough, I slipped back into sleep, but in what seemed to have been only within five seconds of falling asleep, a cannon shot was fired. It had immediately woken me up, including the rest of us Careers. I sat right up and glanced at my companions. "Where's Kai?" Clear quickly and worriedly asked, echoing my thoughts.

When none of us had answered, she hastily got up and ran across the clearing towards where Kai was supposed to be taking watch. She didn't even bother to grab a weapon just in case and ran out into the open unarmed, screaming her district partner's name.

The rest of us, worried as we were, grabbed our weapons first before chasing after her. Slivers of orange were starting to appear and they clearly stood out against the dark, star-filled sky. The sun was already rising and day two of the Hunger Games had just begun. A scream pierced through the otherwise quiet morning, and it was undoubtedly Clear's. Her pained cry caused the rest of us to grow tense and ready our weapons.

Alex and I were the first to reach her and we found Clear holding onto Kai's lifeless body, a knife sticking out of his chest. Judging by the place the knife was embedded in, he died a slow, painful death. The weapon had obviously pierced his stomach, and from what I knew, his gastric juices would've spilled onto the rest of his internal organs and digested them. But that would've taken time and based on the blood trail, he was trying to reach us, crawling when he needed to.

I tightened my grip on my weapon. That was not a good way to go. Kai deserved better.

Clear's face was stained with tears when she looked at us. Her blue-green eyes held so much pain that it even hurt me. But after a moment, the pain turned into anger. It took me a few seconds for me to realize that she wasn't looking at us in general. Her hatred was turned to Yna, who was best known for her knives and impeccable aim. Shaking, Clear got up and took a firm step towards the girl form District One.

"Y-You…" she said in an accusing tone. "You did this to him!"

Yna wasn't fazed by Clear's anger, but I could see it in her face that she was confused of what was happening. I was too. Though I didn't doubt Yna's ability to kill Kai in cold blood, would she really have done it so early in the Games? I meant that if I were her, I would've waited until the rest of Careers weren't there to kill me in revenge.

"Hey," Arc interrupted. "We're not even sure if Yna did this. For all we know some tribute snuck up to Kai and killed him." Arc was defending Yna, but there was something wrong. He was much too calm. I haven't gotten to know Arc that well, but his district partner was being accused of murder. If he had some trust in Yna, he would've reacted more violently or at least be more defensive.

Clear rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Arc!" she exclaimed. "Who else uses a knife around here? It's not like those four tributes in the woods got a knife!"

I turned to Yna to see her reaction and I was surprised that she was trying to stifle her laughter. "This is too much," she chuckled, shaking her head. I was further confused by her reaction. "You are so immature Clear. It's not like you can't live without Kai now, could you?"

"Why you-!"

"Maybe I killed Kai. Maybe I didn't. The fact is, he would've died anyway," she finished with a shrug. Clear gritted her teeth and let out a wild growl before tackling Yna to the ground. For a few seconds, they were on the ground, scratching each other, pulling each other's hair and we didn't even dare to intervene. It was their fight, not ours. But for some reason, Yna began to fight back and take Clear seriously. Yna kicked the District Four girl off of her and the two of them got up on their feet.

"Why you bitch…" Yna muttered, distinct anger and loathing on her face. She her fingers around a knife, but before she could throw it, Alex attacked her. It had caught Yna by surprise, but she didn't even once falter in her step. "What the hell are you doing Alex? You should be attacking her, not me," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"And let a killer walk free? I don't think so," I heard him say in reply. I widened my eyes when I saw Arc readying his sais to attack his own district partner. What the hell? I thought he was on Yna's side.

Yna couldn't protect herself from both Alex and Arc and let Alex's sword slice her along the chest and dodged Arc's sais completely. "Arc you traitor!" she yelled. She then turned to me. "What about you Rosewood? Aren't you gonna try to kill me?"

I shrugged and answered, "I'll get my chance," without missing a beat.

The blonde smiled. "I'll take that as a 'no'," she said before turning her attention back to the people trying to kill her. "I'm kinda out numbered here so…" I noticed her eyes dart briefly to the woods nearby and in an instant, I knew what she was planning. "See ya guys," she sang before making a run for the woods. Clear widened her eyes, totally not expecting her to run, and grabbed hold of the knife still sticking out of Kai's corpse.

As far as I knew, Clear had decent aim, but I doubted she'd hit Yna. Imagine my surprise when I saw the knife land on Yna's left shoulder. The escaping tribute noticeably staggered, but she kept on running. It was my chance to land a blow on her, but I hesitated. But then I realized that my father was watching me and that if I missed this chance, he would be very displeased. And though I didn't like how it felt, I aimed for Yna and sent an arrow flying.

* * *

_I admit... Not one of my best._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Emily, you scout ahead," Clear instructed. "We'll be right behind you." I nodded and took off for the woods.

It had been two days since Yna ran off and a day since I woke up. I was knocked unconscious after I tried to shoot Yna. According to Clear and Arc, Alex had been working with Yna all along and was planning to take us down one by one. Arc thought that Yna hadn't anticipated Clear's violent reaction to Kai's death and ran.

They told me after I had missed the first shot, I tried again, but Alex tackled me to the ground and punched me, knocking me unconscious. Clear was quick enough to get him off of me before he drew his own knife to kill me. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Alex retreated to the woods.

If I were a normal person, I would've suspected that Clear and Arc were lying, but I knew Alex. He had let me down before and him running off with Yna was not really that much of a surprise. He was my friend, sure, but we were in the Hunger Games. There's no such thing as trust in the Arena. Why then, did I feel this way? I recognized the feeling. It was the same feeling as the time he just walked out of my house. Betrayal. Hurt. Regret.

I hated it.

Thankfully, it had warmed up since we had first arrived, but it was still cold. The sun was out more often, but when night fell, the Arena was like a freezer. And thanks to the cold, we couldn't stay up and hunt as much as we wanted to. Even though the pillars of smoke meant a tribute close by, for Panem's sake, we didn't want to go out there and die of hypothermia.

As I trudged through the snow covered ground, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I quickly turned around, weapon raised and ready to shoot at a moment's notice. I only saw trees and that led me to wonder: Where were Clear and Arc? I couldn't have gone that far, had I?

My eyes darted from side to side and I couldn't make out which way I had gone through. Every damn thing looked the same. I glared at a tree and began to scale it. Maybe I could tell where I was if I got a better view. At the top, I could see the circular clearing where the Cornucopia was just south-west from me. To the north-east were miles of woodlands and to the east, I could make out the waterfall that fed the numerous streams, rivers and lakes with ice cold water.

Carefully, I got back down. I wasn't that far from the Cornucopia, so it was a little confusing why the two hadn't caught up to me yet. I had decided to backtrack when somebody grabbed me from behind, covering my mouth to prevent me screaming. Not that I screamed at all. Emily Rosewood did not scream, even if my life depended on it.

But I was not going down without a fight. I quickly elbowed my attacker in the gut and he immediately released me. I grabbed hold of the knife that was always strapped to my leg and tried to attack, but someone behind me swatted the blade out of my hand. In response, I drew my leg up to kick the bastard, but I was tackled to the ground. Talk about ambush.

"Stop fighting kid or else I might actually kill you," a familiar voice hissed, causing me to stop my thrashing. I blinked when I realized it was Yna. She had obviously seen better days, but for a tribute, she looked pretty decent.

A moment passed before I remembered that she was the enemy and I continued to try and escape. "Hey, you. Talk some sense into her before I do something stupid," she ordered. I could practically hear her eyes rolling.

"What makes you think she'll listen to me?" I froze at the voice. The two of them couldn't seriously be working together. I turned my head to get a better view of my other assailant. From the corner of my eye, I could tell Yna was smiling.

"That's better," she cooed. "Now, I'm going to let you go and you're going to get up slowly. Twelve is going to lead the way and you're gonna follow while I take the back. Okay?"

"Bite me," I hissed.

Yna sighed. "I tried," she told Seth. I kept my eyes on Seth and saw him frown. "Well, you go and make her. You know she hates me."

My eyes grew wide when a pair of hands grabbed my arm and dragged me up onto my feet, effectively removing Yna from me. "Get your-" A gloved hand covered my mouth and I glared at the boy from Twelve. I bit down on the material as hard as I could and he yelped in pain as he pulled away. "Really should've killed you back at the Cornucopia."

"Well, you didn't, so live with the consequences," I heard him mutter. I raised an eyebrow. What was his problem? It wasn't like he was the one being dragged around against his will. And I thought he was a sweet guy. "Come on. We dunno how far they are, but we still better get moving."

I looked at Yna evenly. "You guys aren't gonna let me go anytime soon huh?" The District One tribute tilted her head towards Seth, but I didn't understand what she meant by that. I felt the boy push me forward and I was compelled to walk. "You are so dead Seth. I'm going to kill the both of you when I get the chance."

"I'm frightened," Yna murmured.

* * *

I glanced around at the sparse cave before narrowing my eyes at the pair sitting a few feet in front of me. They had tied me up for their safety, which was a pretty smart thing to do on their part. "Where's Alex?" I asked. There was no sign of my district partner anywhere. Neither a bag nor a weapon.

Seth pulled his eyebrows together. "Alex? Why? Did anything happen?"

"You tell me," I muttered. "You and him have a little alliance going on, don't you?"

Yna didn't so much as flinch. "But-" Seth tried to speak, but he was promptly interrupted by the girl.

"Well, we kinda do. He's hiding out there, somewhere. We crossed paths two days ago and we promised each not to get in each other's ways," she nonchalantly told me as she examined one of her knives. "I haven't seen him since then."

I noticed Seth staring at Yna with a frown on his face. Yna shot him a look and he shook his head. Something was going on, but as long as Yna was here, Seth wasn't going to talk. "So why'd you do it Yna? Why kill Kai?" I winced when a knife landed not too far from my leg.

"Don't ask questions you're not sure you want to know the answers to," she warned. "There's a bit of truth to the saying 'Ignorance is bliss'." I eyed the two. So they _were_ hiding something. Yna then turned to Twelve. "How are our supplies?"

Seth shook his head. "Not good. We can manage for another day at most, but we haven't checked the traps yet so..."

Yna waved a hand. "Go and check them," she instructed. Seth dutifully nodded before leaving the cave in a matter of minutes. "So it's you and me Em. How have you been?"

"Would be better if you untie me," I answered. The girl laughed.

"Can't do that Em," she replied. "Don't want you running around and getting yourself killed. If you die, that means he'd get mad. You don't want to see him when he's mad."

He? "Who? Alex?"

The tribute gave me a look. "Would you stop thinking about Alex for a moment? It's bugging me."

"Then who'd get mad if I escape and die?"

She rolled her eyes. If there was something I was supposed to understand, or _should_ understand_, _then there must be be something wrong with me today. "Who else than Twelve? I mean, he's the one who made me tag along," she told me. "For all I care, Clear and Arc could eat you alive. But no. Twelve just had to beat me into a bloody pulp." She reached up and covered her face in humiliation. "What an embarrassment I was. To be beaten by a District Twelve rat, and be spared nonetheless. Imagine what that made me look like."

Oh I could imagine alright and I only wished I saw it.

"Stop smiling you bitch."

"Can't help it." I seriously couldn't.

* * *

_Alright! It's SEMBREAK! Oh yeah!_

_So I know I hadn't updated for a while and I'm trying my hardest to overcome this block I have. Bare with me for a little while longer please?_


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